Heinrich Statement In Opposition To Senate Republican Tax Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after passage of the Senate Republican tax bill: “Tonight, Senate Republicans passed their disastrous tax bill that harms working families, will blow a huge hole in the deficit, and I fear will lead to drastic cuts to vital programs in the years ahead. Yet again, our children and our communities will end up paying the price for irresponsible and immoral Republican tax giveaways. Under the Senate bill, 200,000 households in New Mexico who earn less than $74,000 a year will see their taxes go up. This is far from a middle-class tax cut.

“This bill spends money we don’t have on tax breaks the rich don’t need. The legislation adds $1.4 trillion to the national debt, an average of $140 billion each year in increased deficits, further damaging our long-term fiscal situation. When tax revenues dry up because of this plan, Congress will be forced to make hard decisions about funding Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, public schools, our national labs, and our military.

“Meaningful tax reform is a big, complicated, and complex undertaking. It shouldn’t happen behind closed doors with the public in the dark, or with just one party calling all the shots. We could craft a better bill that would lower taxes in a way that doesn’t add to the deficit. We must work together to find real solutions to health care, to tax reform, and to all of our nation’s challenges.”