Tax Bill Harms People With Disabilities - Contact your Members Today!

December 11, 2017

What is Happening?

Both the House and Senate have passed versions of a tax bill, but with key differences. Each chamber has nominated a handful of "conferees" to reconcile the differences and agree on a common proposal. They meet Wednesday to negotiate changes.

Both bills would negatively impact people with disabilities and their families. While neither bill directly cuts Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security or other programs like vocational rehabilitation, Head Start and housing supports, they drastically cut the revenue necessary to fund programs that people with disabilities rely on to live and work in the community.

Many Members of Congress have recently said that cutting these programs is a necessary course of action.

Members of Congress need to hear from you today on the importance of these programs for people with disabilities.

The Time to Act Is Now!

Please call your Members TODAY using the Capitol line at: (202) 224-3121 (voice) or (202) 224-3091 (tty) You'll be directed to an operator at the Capitol switchboard. This switchboard can direct you to both Senators as well as Representatives.

Key Members:

Senate Conferees:
- Republicans: Hatch (UT), Enzi (WY), Murkowski (AK), Cornyn (TX), Thune (SD), Portman (OH), Scott (SC), and Toomey (PA)
- Democrats: Wyden (OR), Sanders (VT), Murray (WA), Cantwell (WA), Stabenow (MI), Menendez (NJ), and Carper (DE)
House Conferees:
- Republicans: Brady (TX-8), Roskam (IL-6^th), Nunes (CA-22^nd), Black (TN-6^th)), Noem (SD-at large), Bishop (UT-1st), Young (IA-3^rd), Upton (MI-6^th), and Shimkus (IL-15^th)
- Democrats: Neal (MA-1^st), Levin (MI-9^th), Doggett (TX-35^th), Grijalva (AZ-3^rd), and Castor (FL-14^th)

Key Messages:

The bill is an attack on people with disabilities and families with a member who has a disability:

It removes tax deductions, including medical expenses, affecting 8.8 million families, according to the IRS
The tax bill is a tax on those living with disabilities
Taxing people with disabilities to pay for the tax cuts of others is wrong
The bill adds more than $1 trillion to the deficit over the next 10 years, which will lead to cuts in disability programs
Tax cuts today will cut disability services tomorrow
Over 5 million low-income people would lose insurance if the individual mandate penalty is repealed
Critical community services for people with disabilities will be cut if this tax cut passes

Today is the day to educate your members by calling offices, sending e-mails, visiting staff in state and DC offices. Continue to make sure your Members know your concerns. Thank you!

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