NEW HOUSE TAX BILL GUTS HEALTH CARE FOR WORKING FAMILIES TO GIVE TAX BREAKS TO WEALTHY AND BIG CORPORATIONS

Charlottesville, Va. — After the House Ways and Means Committee released its tax bill that will cut Medicaid and Medicare to pay for massive tax cuts for the very wealthy and big corporations, Denise Smith of the Virginia Organizing State Governing Board released this statement:

“All year, we’ve fought conservative proposals that would cut our health care by repealing the ACA (Affordable Care Act), and dismantling Medicaid, while at the same time giving big tax breaks to the rich, insurers, and prescription drug companies. Although we prevailed, it’s clear with this latest bill that Congressional leaders have not given up on slashing health care to pay for tax breaks for rich households and corporations who should be paying more, not less.

“Hundreds of thousands of people depend on Medicaid in Virginia. Medicaid is the single largest source of federal funding in our state budget. Cuts to Medicaid would hurt people of all ages and shift massive burdens to our state.

“The Ryan tax bill would give over $1 trillion in tax breaks to the rich and corporations while making life-saving health care services and medications unaffordable and unattainable for the rest of us. That’s why we’re calling on our Members of Congress to reject this legislation. It’s far past time for Representative Paul Ryan and other leaders to listen to their constituents and focus on reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), stabilizing health care markets, and working towards bipartisan solutions to expand access to affordable health care.”

Virginia Organizing is a non-partisan statewide grassroots organization that brings people together to create a more just Virginia.

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