Lake County Gazette

WASHINGTON— On June 13, Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) released the following statement on the Ways & Means Committee’s tax markup:

"On June 13, the Republican-led Ways and Means Committee considered three tax bills that, if they became law, would burden American families with trillions of dollars in additional debt. We cannot afford these Republican distractions. These proposals, absent any responsible proposals to pay for them, would be one of the largest tax expenditures in history.

“I was particularly disappointed that the Republican majority rejected our bipartisan amendment to address the unfair SALT deduction cap, and its consequent double taxation. Our bipartisan proposal was shot down without a thought for Illinois homeowners who, for the past six years, have borne the brunt of the 2017 Republican tax penalty.

“After taking America to the brink of catastrophic default on claimed concerns about deficit spending and ballooning debt, it’s clear Republicans were crying ‘crocodile tears.’ Their true focus is  on irresponsible, unfunded tax cuts for the wealthiest and well connected Americans.

“With the Ways and Means first tax markup this year, we could have focused on proven economic solutions that lift up working families, such as the Child Tax Credit (CTC). We could have worked to enable more people to enter the workforce with paid leave so working parents could care for a sick kid, individuals could take care of an ailing parent, and workers everywhere could take time off when they’re sick. And we could have lifted up more struggling workers by boosting policies like the Earned Income Tax Credit to put more money into their pockets to pay for rent, groceries and health care. Instead, the Republican majority has opted to follow their old playbook and reward their deep pocketed friends."

Original source can be found here.