“The tax reform bill the House passed today has all the wrong priorities, providing deep tax cuts for mega-millionaires and well-heeled corporations while raising taxes on millions of middle class families. It would add a staggering $1.5 trillion, or more, to the federal deficit, triggering $25 billion in cuts to Medicare and starving the government of the resources it needs to support essential programs that improve health; provide food, nutrition, housing and energy assistance; educate the next generation; and much more. It would destabilize the federal budget so dramatically that funding for core programs like Head Start, Medicaid and Medicare will be in deep peril.

This bill is a windfall for the wealthy and an utter betrayal of middle and low-income women and families. It would undermine the health and economic security of the vast majority of hardworking people.

In addition, this legislation includes anti-abortion ‘fetal personhood’ language that could potentially have far-reaching consequences for women’s health – and its Child Tax Credit increase is paltry, regressive and inadequate, utterly failing to reflect the real financial challenges facing working parents – especially those who are paid low wages and work long hours.

We now look to the Senate to reject any tax plan that increases taxes for the middle class to give tax breaks to the wealthy. We urge senators to reject attacks on the Affordable Care Act in tax reform. The current proposal is appalling; it would take health coverage away from 13 million people, raise premiums for those fortunate enough to have health insurance at all, and undermine the stability of the health insurance marketplace.

And although the Senate tax plan recognizes that paid family and medical leave is now a key economic issue that the nation must address, the sham provision included in the proposal is just another corporate giveaway and has little chance of helping the millions of people who struggle without paid leave.

It’s time for the Trump administration and leaders in Congress to focus on improving the health and economic security of this country’s working families, not giving tax breaks to millionaires, billionaires and profitable corporations.”