Conservative Senator Marco Rubio put up a big show of refusing to vote for the kleptocratic Republican tax scam on the grounds that the child tax credit should be expanded. When his party offered a piddling $300 increase, Rubio immediately caved and agreed to support the bill.
NEW: Marco Rubio's a YES on tax bill, two sources tell @CNBC.
— Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) December 15, 2017
Andy Slavitt, who ran Medicare, Medicaid and Obamacare, as President Obama’s Acting Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, took to Twitter to denounce the pathetically small number that bought Rubio’s vote. No doubt, Slavitt is also outraged by the fact that the bill repeals the individual mandate, thereby depriving 13 million people of healthcare and effectively repealing Obamacare.
BREAKING: Tax bill conf comm responds to Rubio’s threats by giving low income families $300.
$300. Not a joke.
More if interested soon.1/
— Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) December 15, 2017
Clearly, Rubio was just making a show of defending working families, in order to try to save his seat from Democratic challenger Matt Haggman. Twitter immediately clapped back at Republicans for their stingy token gesture.
$300, after taking $4,050 away because they can't claim an exemption anymore.
— James Cariello (@JamesCariello) December 15, 2017
While Republicans nickel and dime average Americans, they are giving dramatic tax cuts to the 1%, including deductions for private jets. The right wing’s flagrant “let them eat cake” policies have citizens up in arms and ready to organize for action.
Call, email, use @resistbot! #RESIST pic.twitter.com/yuWD1S1bCK
— Idris (Mary) ???? ???? (@romanticskeptc) December 15, 2017
Included in the bill are provisions that reduce corporate taxes from 35% to 21%, lower the top individual tax rate, while raising the rate for the poorest Americans, double the deduction on estate tax for inheritances passed from 0.2% of Americans to their heirs, deprive undocumented workers of the ability to claim the child tax credit, and balloon the deficit by $1.5 trillion.
The Trump family stands to gain $1 billion from this tax bill, but Senator Rubio buckled for $300 for regular families.
Come 2018, Rubio and all his Republican congressional colleagues need to go.
Follow Lucia Brawley on Twitter.
