Last week, Congress expected to neatly finish passing their destructive tax bill on Monday – but yesterday, we saw that your advocacy had thrown a wrench in the works, further delaying the #TaxOnDisability from becoming law. With one more push, we could end this devastating bill for good. Keep reading for more information, or scroll down for the call-in script.
Instead of simply approving the Senate bill, both chambers of Congress now have to hammer out the differences in their bills in a conference committee. That means that both the Senate and the House will have to vote again to pass the tax bill before it becomes a law. We don’t know what the final bill will look like, but everything from both the House AND Senate versions is on the table:
- Repealing the “affordable” part of the Affordable Care Act. Getting rid of the individual mandate means 13 million people could lose health insurance, and premiums will increase by 10% on average.
- Raising the deficit, thereby creating an excuse to slash Medicaid and more. The tax cuts will raise the deficit by up to $1.5 trillion. Congress’ proposed budget tells us exactly how they plan to pay for this: by cutting Medicaid and other health care funding by between $1.3 trillion and $1.9 trillion.
- Automatically gutting vital services. The bill could trigger automatic cuts to services and programs that many people with disabilities depend on, including food stamps, special education funding, and Medicare.
- Eliminating important tax deductions for people with disabilities. The bill might eliminate the deduction for out-of-pocket medical expenses exceeding 10% of a person’s income, making it even harder for people with disabilities to cover our medical bills. Other tax provisions that help us all live good lives in our communities are also on the chopping block.
You know the drill: use ContactingCongress.org to find the phone numbers of your Members of Congress. When you call, you can use our script below, and if you don’t speak, you can call using your AAC device, or get a friend to call in and read your message.
People with disabilities in our state like [me/ my family member/ my friends] are not disposable, and our basic services are not your trust fund. Please vote AGAINST any tax bills that repeal the ACA or set up cuts to services disabled people rely on to survive. We’re calling on you to defend everyday Americans by standing up to this tax bill.
After you call, go ahead and send an email too, and then ask 5 other people to call and email as well. The louder we are, the better our odds are of stopping this. Congress watched us stop three separate attempts at dismantling the Affordable Care Act this year, and they know as well as we do what we can accomplish when we work together. Call your Members of Congress and make sure they remember.