Adam Beitman, adam.beitman@sierraclub.org or 202-670-5585
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Sierra Club has launched a digital ad campaign in 29 congressional districts in opposition to the House GOP’s regressive tax scheme. The ad calls on the public to let their Members of Congress know that this tax bill is unacceptable.
"Members of Congress should vote against this tax scheme because it is a massive tax cut for the richest 1% and corporate polluters that will result in deep cuts to programs that safeguard public health, clean air and water, and our public lands” said Sierra Club Legislative Director Melinda Pierce. “The GOP's plan even manages to raise taxes on the middle class, while sneaking in an outrageous attack on the Arctic Refuge by opening it up for drilling."
The ad will run in the Congressional districts nationwide, represented by the following members:
Issa (CA-49); Denham (CA-10); LoBiondo (NJ-2); Smith (NJ-4); Lance (NJ-7); Katko (NY-24); MacArthur (NJ-3); Faso (NY-19); Zeldin (NY-1); King (NY-2); Donovan (NY-11); Stefanik (NY-21); Costello (PA-6); Meehan (PA-7); Fitzpatrick (PA-8); Dent (PA-15); Coffman (CO-6); Young (IA-3); Poliquin (ME-2); Trott (MI-11); Lewis (MN-2); Paulsen (MN-3); Sanford (SC-1); Jones (NC-3); Hurd (TX-23); Comstock (VA-10); Ros-Lehtinen (FL-27); Curbelo (FL-26); Mast (FL-18).
AMONG THE WORST PROVISIONS OF THE BILL:
SETS UP CUTS TO CRITICAL PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS:
If this plan passes, people across the country will see the safeguards that protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, the places we play, and the communities where we live face dramatic and dangerous cuts.
That’s because this plan balloons the federal deficit by over $1.5 trillion by giving hangouts to the wealthiest individuals and corporations. Cutting taxes for the rich now means cuts to the federal budget and entitlements later.
PLUNDERS THE ARCTIC REFUGE:
One of the ways Congressional Republicans want to fund tax cuts for the wealthy is by sneaking in an attack on the Arctic Refuge and opening it up to drilling
This is a thinly veiled giveaway to the fossil fuel industry, reducing one of our last great wild places, the Arctic Refuge, and the Gwich’in nation who rely on it for their livelihood, to nothing more than a line item.
UNDERMINES RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES, WHILE KEEPING BIG OIL TAX BONANZAS:
The House bill hampers the booming clean energy economy, which is leading new job creation nationwide, by ending tax credits for the purchase of electric vehicles and interfering with tax credits for wind and solar energy.
As reported by Bloomberg: “the bill would cut the benefit from the wind provision by a third, and wipe out another 10 percent tax credit for commercial-scale solar and geothermal projects after 2027.”
The clearest evidence that the GOP’s highest priority is polluters and not people is that Big Oil is already bragging about how their favorite massive tax loopholes and subsidies are almost entirely untouched in the House GOP plan. Bloomberg reports that the bill “keeps most of the oil industry’s most cherished tax breaks intact” worth many billions of dollars.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.