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Emily Pickren
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Statement attributed to Jim Weill, president, Food Research & Action Center.
WASHINGTON, December 20, 2017 — “The tax bill passed by Congress today is a great disservice to the American people. It gives huge tax cuts to the rich, while giving tiny cuts — or tax increases — to millions of low- and moderate-income households. And the modest tax cuts for these households are written in disappearing ink.
Not only is the bill deeply flawed as a tax measure, but it creates a $1.5 trillion deficit that will be used to justify Republican proposals to cut programs essential to tens of millions of Americans. GOP leadership has made clear that it will target for deep cuts SNAP, Medicaid, school meals, Supplemental Security Income, housing assistance, the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit for low-wage working families, and other safety net programs.
Slashing these essential supports will increase hunger and poverty, reduce learning and productivity, harm health, drive up health care spending, harm economic growth, and inflict a range of other irreparable harms on generations of Americans.
The Food Research & Action Center will continue to resist efforts to direct all the fruits of the American economy to the richest among us, and resist efforts to cut food and housing assistance, health care, and other critical programs that help everyday Americans make ends meet.”
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The Food Research & Action Center is the leading national nonprofit organization working to eradicate poverty-related hunger and undernutrition in the United States.
