John,

Congress is preparing to vote next week on a major government funding bill that could contain a Christmas wish-list for wealthy corporations and shareholders. It’s up to us to ensure that any bill passed by Congress invests in working families, and doesn’t include holiday goodies for the rich and corporations.

Right now, the very profitable medical device industry is lobbying Congress to continue to exempt itself from paying a $2.4 billion a year tax that helps fund the Affordable Care Act, which provides health care to about 20 million Americans.[1]

And, Republicans are demanding a tax package that makes so-called “technical corrections” to the 2017 tax scam to help restaurants and retailers deduct the full cost of their property improvements immediately rather than over several years. This will cut taxes for wealthy shareholders and other business owners while ignoring low-wage workers, whose wages have been flat for decades.

Instead of more tax handouts for medical device corporations and for high-priced restaurants and the retail industry, which pay their employees low wages, we’re demanding tax credits for working families!

Sign this urgent petition before Congress votes next week. Tell Congress to reject special interest tax breaks in favor of tax credits for working families.

Two provisions we want to get in the end-of-year funding bill, which would make a huge difference in the lives of millions of working families, will strengthen the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and extend the full Child Tax Credit to low-income families.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “Numerous studies show that the EITC increases employment, raises incomes, and reduces poverty.”[2] And, now, the Economic Mobility Act would strengthen the EITC to better support low-income individuals and families without children.

This bill would also improve the Child Tax Credit to better support families with little or no income.

Sign the petition to Congress to reject tax breaks for medical device companies, pricey restaurants and the retail industry, and support tax credits for low-income families including the EITC and the Child Tax Credit.

In the lead up to the vote, high-priced Washington lobbyists are trying to protect the corporate profits of wealthy industries. It’s up to us to fight back and demand Congress pass a funding bill that puts working families first.

Thanks for all that you do to build a tax system and an economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthy few.

Frank Clemente
Executive Director
Americans for Tax Fairness Action Fund

[1] “Obamacare’s medical device tax — and how it became a repeal target — explained,” Vox, July 27, 2017
[2] “House Ways and Means Committee Legislation Would Expand EITC and Child Tax Credit,” Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, July 2, 2019