Grassroots Rally on Capitol Hill Marks Kickoff to Battle Over Extending Trump Tax Cuts
The opening bell has rung in the fight to block extension of the Trump tax cuts for the rich and to create a fairer tax system in their place
By William Rice
The opening bell has rung in the fight to block extension of the Trump tax cuts for the rich and to create a fairer tax system in their place.
Last week tax-fairness activists from all across America swarmed Congress to urge their representatives not to extend the parts of the 2017 Trump-GOP tax law set to expire at the end of next year that exclusively benefit the wealthy, and instead raise taxes on the rich and corporations. The citizens' lobbying campaign, organized by Fair Share America with Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF) as the federal anchor organization, was capped off by a Capitol Hill press conference addressed by a senator and two members of the House, along with ATF executive director David Kass and other leaders of national organizations.
Though the expiration of the Trump tax cuts creates a deadline for action, the activists on the Hill want to achieve more than letting the cuts for the rich expire on schedule. They are aiming to finally replace the tax-cut, trickle-down economics of the past 40 years that’s so failed working families with a system in which the rich and corporations finally pay their fair share of tax so we can build an economy that works for us all.
Speaker after speaker at the press event railed against the 2017 law for giving the great bulk of the tax cuts to the rich and corporations, cuts that have not trickled down as promised to working families but have added trillions of dollars to the national debt. That debt is exploited by Republicans as an excuse to cut funding for public services that lower costs and increase opportunities for working families.
Kass laid out three principal goals for the extension fight: no further tax cuts for households with income higher than $400,000; fairer taxes on the rich and corporations that raise more revenue; investments made with that revenue in working families and communities. He also riled up the crowd with questions like, “Do you think that a billionaire should pay a lower tax rate than a firefighter or a teacher?”
The president of the National Education Association, the union of teachers and other school employees that is the largest labor organization in the country, explained that her members opposed extension of the Trump tax cuts for the rich on two separate grounds. Rebecca Pringle noted that as members of the “working class,” NEA members could not support tax policies that give even more money to the rich. And as educators, they must stand against extension on behalf of their students. That’s because the revenue lost from cutting taxes on the wealthy endangers funding for education and for other programs that improve students’ ability to learn, such as the greater household security that comes with an expanded Child Tax Credit.
Ai-jen Poo, executive director of Caring Across Generations, declared that her most important identity was that as “caregiver.” Her organization pursues the long overdue task of elevating the value society accords to caregiving and relieving the pressure so many families experience as they try to care for younger children, older parents and disabled loved ones. She explained that a fairer tax system that brings in more revenue is essential to fund the public investments we need in the care economy.
Representatives from democracy and environmental groups spoke as well. The point all the speakers made is that the fight for tax fairness is not a niche issue, a concern exclusively of statisticians, accountants and tax lawyers. Taxes pay for all our public priorities, so who is taxed and how much is relevant to all public advocates. That’s why the movement for tax fairness should be a broad one and anyone who cares about how well society works should be involved in the legislative battle that culminates at the end of next year.
The press conference was hosted by Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), a member of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee and one of the most reliable congressional champions of tax fairness. While taking questions, the congressman tipped the crowd to some internal strategy. He noted that without any action by Congress all the Trump tax cuts will expire, so tax fairness advocates have an advantage, since as he facetiously added, “the one thing Congress is good at is doing nothing.”
To achieve the best possible outcome by the time the calendar ticks over to 2026, we need the efforts of both inside advocates like Members of Congress who spoke at the event— Representative Doggett, Representative Gwen Moore, Senator Bennet—and other outside agitators such as those gathered inside and outside the Capitol last Wednesday. Because the battle has officially begun.