Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jenny Wilson says the Republican tax overhaul package spearheaded by Sen. Orrin Hatch gives too much to the wealthy at the expense of the lower and middle class.
“It doesn’t make sense. I think it’s heartless, and I really don’t know what has happened to Orrin Hatch,” says Wilson. “I think this is his worst moment.”
Hatch, along with GOP leaders celebrated the final passage of their tax plan on Wednesday. Hatch praised President Donald Trump as “one heck of a leader,” saying the bill would not have passed without his help.
Republicans are taking a gamble with the sweeping changes to the tax code, which they pushed through without Democratic input in just two months. Wilson says she thinks updating our tax system is a good idea, but the way Hatch and fellow Republicans did it was unacceptable.
“To think that this package did not have one hearing, that it would be one-sided to benefit the wealthy and corporations is completely unacceptable,” said Wilson on Wednesday. “There isn’t a person in Utah who should think otherwise.”
Most economic analyses of the plan say it will blow a $1.4 trillion hole in the budget over the next decade, but Republicans are betting that the tax cuts will pay for themselves because they’ll supercharge the economy. Wilson says she’s upset that the Republicans are betting the economic well being of middle and lower class Americans to give tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy.
“I’m frustrated because the poorest among us are really, really hurt by this bill. A middle-class working family might save a teeny bit with this bill, but the wealthier you are, the more you save,” she said.
Wilson said her biggest problem with the bill is that corporate tax cuts are made permanent, while individual breaks expire.
“The biggest insult is that corporations get to keep their tax reductions permanently, but the rest of us lose them in eight years.”
When asked if she would be part of an effort to repeal the tax bill if she were to win election in 2018, Wilson said she would like to see changes made, but wasn’t sure what that might look like.
“I think we needed tax reform, and I would never want to repeal anything valuable that comes out of this legislation, but there’s far more harm than good in this bill. There’s no way I could have supported an up or down vote on this bill, and I will do whatever I can to improve it.”
