We’re in the midst of a constitutional crisis -- this week’s events illuminated a clear connection between the 2016 election robbery and the ensuing tax cuts for the wealthiest few.
On Monday, Robert Mueller’s investigation revealed that one of Donald Trump’s campaign operatives, George Papadopoulos, pled guilty to making false statements to the FBI about the extent of his contacts with the Russian government while he was working for the campaign in 2016. In their efforts to obtain the DNC’s hacked emails, the Trump administration schemed to lie and cheat their way to stealing an election while actively cooperating with Russia, a country that wants nothing more than to shatter our democracy. The reasons aren’t hard to understand: in Russia, a kleptocracy runs the show, and this kleptocracy would only be hindered by a government of the people. While fair elections are a pillar of our democracy, the Trump administration was complicit in attacking this democratic foundation.
And yesterday, with the release of the Republicans’ tax proposal, we understood why Trump was willing to violate our laws in order to become President: greed. This tax plan will cost our country $1.5 trillion over the next decade, but you and I won’t be seeing any benefits. Instead, 80% of the savings go to the top 1% wealthiest individuals (and 40% go to the top 0.1%). Further, by eliminating the estate tax, Trump will save his family a billion dollars. No wonder Trump gleefully suggested that the tax plan be called “The Cut, Cut, Cut Act.”
Of course, multi-millionaire Roger Williams is thrilled with the tax plan, as detailed in his public statement:
“I am proud to see much of my tax reform plan, Jumpstart America, introduced in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act”.
Behaving more like a Russian kleptocrat than a democratically elected leader, Reckless Roger again finds himself badly out of touch with the people he’s supposed to represent. Bragging about robbing dollars from hard-working Americans and redistributing them to the wealthiest few, Williams claims that his business acumen will somehow jump-start economic growth. Instead, Williams’ plan will devastate working households from Austin to Burleson by slashing the corporate tax rate and repealing tax breaks for necessities like medical bills, moving expenses, student-loan interest payments, and adoption fees. It also threatens the long-term viability of Medicare and Social Security. Meanwhile, Wall Street hedge fund managers retain their favorite loophole, the carried-interest rule, which lets them pay half the normal income tax rate. These tax cuts favor capital, not people.
When will Roger Williams and his Republican colleagues put the interests of their constituents ahead of those of the privileged few? When will they put Main Street first, ahead of Wall Street? When will they put the interests of our children and seniors first? This latest tax plan is uniquely irresponsible, overhauling the tax code to further subsidize the extravagant lifestyles of multi-millionaires like Williams. At a time when we should be increasing tax revenues to invest in education, health care, and infrastructure, Williams is laughing all the way to the bank, where the size of billionaires’ accounts grows at your expense.
More than ever, we need a candidate with the knowledge, experience, and energy to fight corruption in Washington, D.C. Anyone can profess progressive platitudes during a political campaign, so it’s vital that you choose a candidate who has walked the walk of progressive values. As a defense attorney for over a decade and the supervising attorney of a pro bono clinic at UT’s law school, I’ve dedicated my career to protecting the constitutional rights of the people of Main Street, not Wall Street. You know whose side I’ll be on when I’m in Congress.
With Lamar Smith retiring, Roger Williams is now the most dangerous Congressperson running for re-election in Central Texas. Stand with me in the fight for our democracy by contributing to our campaign today:
https://secure.actblue.com/donate
Together, we can return representation to We The People and restore trust in our government.
Fighting for our future,
Chris
Facebook: @ChrisPerriforTexas
Twitter: @ChrisPerriTX