“Last night, 51 U.S. Senators turned their backs on the people they are supposed to represent by passing a grossly irresponsible, morally reprehensible tax bill. Like the House version, the tax plan the Senate passed last night is a windfall for the wealthy that will undermine the economic security of middle- and low-income women and families. It slashes taxes for the country’s richest people and corporations, while hiking them for millions of working and middle-class families. It will exacerbate income inequality, which is already a tremendous problem in our country. And it will leave a legacy of debt the next generation will have to pay off. This is a betrayal of historic proportions.

The Senate bill will take health coverage away from 13 million people, raise premiums for many more, cut Medicare by $25 billion next year and put Medicaid on the chopping block. It will explode the deficit, denying the government the resources it needs to provide health care, education, food and nutrition, housing and energy assistance, and much more.

Its paid leave proposal is a sham. Employers that provide as little as two weeks of leave at partial pay will be eligible for an end-of-the-year tax credit. This is another corporate giveaway that has little chance of helping the millions of families that are struggling without paid leave. And it won’t incentivize permanent change, because the paid leave tax credit lasts for just two years.

Both the House and Senate tax plans utterly fail to address the high cost of child care. They contain a paltry increase in the Child Tax Credit that is geared to higher-income families. Ten million children live in low-income families that would receive a token benefit of $75 or less per year – while families with six-figure incomes will benefit much more. This isn’t what families struggling to afford child care need!

And lawmakers in both the Senate and House included anti-abortion ‘fetal personhood’ language in their tax bills – language that could potentially have far-reaching consequences for women’s health.

We will work tirelessly to improve the tax plan in any way possible during the conference process. It is deeply disappointing that so many Republicans in Congress are willing to undermine the health and economic security of millions of families in order to fund tax cuts for the wealthiest corporations and individuals – and painfully clear that they care more about handing President Trump the legislative victory he craves than looking out for their constituents. This tax plan will change our country for years to come. It is a disgrace.”