UNITE HERE Praises Cong. DelBene for Fighting for Repeal of Healthcare Excise Tax
Union Blasts GOP Tax Plan for Taxing Middle Class to Pay for Cut for Rich
Washington, DC – UNITE HERE today praised Rep. Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01) for her introduction of an amendment to repeal the onerous 40% excise tax on worker healthcare benefits supported by the GOP in Trump-Ryan-McConnell Tax Reform Plan, and the Democrats who voted yes today on it in committee.
“The 40% excise tax on millions of Americans struggling to pay their medical bills must go, and through her amendment in the House Ways and Means Committee, Suzan DelBene is leading the way to bring relief to millions of her constituents and all Americans,” said D. Taylor, International President of UNITE HERE. “The GOP should be ashamed of themselves for voting against this today and trying to once again to ram through a tax cut for the rich on the backs of middle class Americans. The tax bill has already revealed that the burden will fall on the middle class to pay for a huge tax cut for the wealthiest few. Suzan’s amendment would bring immediate and future relief to millions of Americans who rely on employer-based healthcare to keep receiving it and the Republicans who voted against it today sold out American workers.”
The union is commending the Democratic members of the House Ways and Means Committee who voted in favor of this legislation today. This committee has jurisdiction over the tax bill that is currently being marked up.
“We carefully watched who voted for repeal, and who didn’t,” continued Taylor. “First Trump and his Republican acolytes in Congress wanted to destroy rather than fix our healthcare system. Now these Republican cowards want to continue the destruction of the middle class by taxing worker health benefits to help fund a tax cut for the richest few. That isn’t right and we will fight. Congresswoman DelBene deserves our help and praise.”
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UNITE HERE represents 270,000 members working in the hotel, gaming, food service, manufacturing, textile, distribution, laundry, transportation, and airport industries in the U.S. and Canada.