American Bridge spokesperson Andrew Bates released the following statement after Republicans attached legislative language to their budget proposal that would bypass the need for the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office to study the effects of their tax plan:
”Republicans know their tax plan would further rig the U.S. economy in favor of the rich, and they want to keep that a secret from the American people. At the same time that the Tax Policy Center
determined the tax proposal Donald Trump and Republicans wrote behind closed doors would give enormous new tax cuts to the rich while raising taxes on millions of middle class Americans, it turns out the GOP is trying to prevent Congress’s nonpartisan budget scorekeeper from warning the public about the plan’s consequences. Republicans have already been
caught lying about the fact that this tax plan would benefit Trump himself while also trying to
hide the truth about corporate tax cuts for the wealthy, this is just the next step in their scheme. It’s shameful.”
Just days ago, Republicans were attempting to force a Trumpcare bill down the country’s throat before the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office could do it’s job and give the American people an official estimate of how many Americans would lose coverage and how the 130 million Americans with preexisting conditions would be impacted.
Even though the consensus among medical experts was that millions of Americans would lose their health coverage and that individuals with preexisting conditions would see their healthcare costs spike, Trump and Republicans were trying to hide the truth from the public.
Now, they are trying to remove the requirement that the Congressional Budget Office analyze their tax plan, just as independent economic experts confirm that it puts the wealthiest Americans first and leaves the middle class – as well as those fighting to enter it – as an afterthought.
The FY2018 Budget Resolution Would Repeal Section 3205 Of S.Con.Res.11 (114th Congress). According to the Senate Budget Committee’s FY 2018 Budget Resolution, “SEC. 4111. REPEAL OF CERTAIN LIMITATIONS. Sections 3205 and 3206 of S. Con. Res. 11 (114th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2016, are repealed.” [Senate Budget Committee FY2018 Budget Resolution, 9/29/17]
Sec. 3205 Of S.Con.Res.11 (114th Congress) Placed Restrictions On Agreeing To Legislation Without A CBO Score. According to Congress.gov, “SEC. 3205. PROHIBITION ON AGREEING TO LEGISLATION WITHOUT A SCORE IN THE SENATE. (a) In General.—In the Senate, it shall not be in order to vote on passage of matter that requires an estimate under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 653), unless such estimate was made publicly available on the website of the Congressional Budget Office not later than 28 hours before the time the vote commences. (b) Supermajority Waiver And Appeal.— (1) WAIVER.—In the Senate, subsection (a) may be waived or suspended only by an affirmative vote of three-fifths of the Members, duly chosen and sworn. (2) APPEAL.—An affirmative vote of three-fifths of the Members of the Senate, duly chosen and sworn, shall be required to sustain an appeal of the ruling of the Chair on a point of order raised under subsection (a).” [S.Con.Res.11, Introduced 3/20/15]
