House Republicans are set to force a vote on their tax plan today without allowing any amendments. This bill would be disastrous, especially for African-American middle-class families. DNC Deputy Press Secretary Brian Gabriel released the following statement:

“This bill was written for Donald Trump’s wealthy friends on Wall Street, not for American families and especially not African-American families. Republicans want to give massive giveaways to the richest corporations and individuals at the expense of the middle class, including millions of black families.

“It’s hard to see the GOP tax plan as anything but a total rip-off for African-American communities. The median income for black households was just under $40,000 last year, and a quarter of people in this tax bracket would see their taxes increase. Additionally, this scam abolishes both the New Markets Tax Credit and Work Opportunity Tax Credit programs, which have helped to spur diverse hiring practices and direct billions in investments into black communities.

“On top of this tax scheme, we now know that the GOP wants to use their tax plan to repeal the ACA’s individual mandate.  This reprehensible attempt at sabotaging health care would jeopardize the well-being of the over three million previously uninsured African-Americans who gained coverage under Obamacare.

“Democrats believe that we should reform our tax system to work better for the middle class, not Wall Street bankers. And we will fight tooth-and-nail to make sure this bill never makes it to Donald Trump’s desk.”