Elijah Lewis: “it is time to be frank and honest about this tax bill. Republicans used budget gimmicks, smoke and mirrors, to hide the…”

“it is time to be frank and honest about this tax bill. Republicans used budget gimmicks, smoke and mirrors, to hide the true effect of their plan. Why? Because the American people know the Republicans are looking out for Wall Street and wealthy Republican supporters. This debate is not about whether to have a tax cut. Democrats support a tax cut. This debate is about who will get the tax cut, Wall Street or Main Street. Democrats support a child tax credit for all working families. We support a HOPE scholarship to help our children, all of our children, go to college. We support allowing middle class American families to sell their homes without paying taxes. But this is not what the Republicans want. The Republicans deny more than 10 million working parents a child tax credit, parents who pay billions of dollars in Federal taxes. Republicans cut in half President Clinton's HOPE scholarship for millions of middle class students. Why? So they can give a huge tax break to the rich. Republicans may tell us a different story, but do not be fooled. The Republican tax bill is not the Good Samaritan on the Jericho road. Do not be misled. What do the Republicans give a family of four making $24,000 a year? Nothing. What do Republicans give the mother who has left welfare to work at a minimum wage job? Nothing. Yesterday Republicans raised the Medicare premium on the elderly. Today the Republicans will give the elderly middle class nothing.”