Rep. Pelosi Issues Remarks on Consequences of Tax Reform on America’s Future
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Democratic Leader
Leader Pelosi Opening Remarks.
Thank you very much all, for your nice welcome. It's really kind of an emotional experience for me to be here because I knew
They say a vision without a plan is fantasy. George had a plan, a vision and now this is the reality. And it's not only around for the people here it's an example to the rest of the country how people of values working together with a purpose and a plan can make a very big difference. Treating people in the neighborhood, now in the center and in the residence with the respect that they deserve, the dignity and worth that they deserve.
So, when you're here you think of the Gospel of Matthew, you know, when I was hungry you fed me, when I was homeless you sheltered me, when I was naked you clothed me, when I was imprisoned you rescued me, when I was a stranger you took me in. That's what this is all about. A sense of community. So it's my honor to be here personally and officially to be part of the
Today we'll be hearing from, well you heard from Cathy, and
Cathy mentioned some of the things but here's what I want to say - I would hope what we're talking about here while it's fearful in some respects gives everyone hope. Because you hope that there's a recognition that they've just gone too far.
They've got the tax bill, imagine a tax scam that gives 83 percent of the benefits to the top one percent in our country. How could that be? What are they thinking? They call it the middle-income tax cut that 86 million families in our country, according to this bill, will pay more in taxes. That gives one and a half trillion dollars in tax breaks to corporate America and with interest payments will take the national debt over
And they do that and say well, 'because we caused that debt we'll have to make some cuts, so we've decided, we've given a tax break to the wealthiest one percent in our country, we're giving corporate America all these tax breaks, where are we going to get the money?'
'We're going to take a trillion dollars out of Medicaid.' Really? So, you can give a tax cut to the high end?
'We're going to
Over
See, a budget is supposed to be a statement of our national values. What's important to us as a nation is supposed to be reflected in how we allocate our resources in our children, our children, to meet their needs. How we honor the needs of our veterans to honor their sacrifice.
Many of the issues that we deal with that relate to health, education, jobs, housing. So important that in this bill they cut so much money from HUD - how could they? We need more, not less. And how they say they're going to take away - their tax bill will diminish the low-income tax credit which has enabled us to build so much housing. Don't they know? How are they representing? Don't they know that community is what it's all about?
And every time I come to Hunter's Point we always say community is about unity. Isn't that right
So, you know, you have that wisdom. You know what a budget as a statement of values should look like. And what we're trying to do, were going all over the country, is to have a give and take with the community about how this budget, this tax scam, which is a rip off to the middle class and is a gift to the high end, at 83 percent to the top one percent, is unconscionable.
But is what's worse about it is that it's a black cloud that hangs over the budget. It says, we've robbed from the future, now we have to take from Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps,
I know that
So I'm honored to be here, Ed Roberts, my friend for many years, we worked together on disability issues, he's in heaven looking down, and
Because so much of the attention that we have here is about our seniors, I'm pleased to yield to
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Leader Pelosi. Thank you very much, John, for giving us those facts and figures. In
First we were just renewing every year, every two years, until we made it permanent and this is really important because it enabled non-profit organizations as well as for-profit to take advantage. For-profit got the tax credit, the non-profit exploited the opportunity and all of this coming together made all the difference in the world. And now that will be devalued, on top of which the 18 percent at HUD and other initiatives, so this really strikes right to the heart of community. Because in our community, housing is expensive. If we can't have affordable housing or low-income housing we'll lose our families, we'll lose our diversity, which is our strength.
So again, this is not a statement of our values. There was a path, it was created, that exploited opportunity and made everything better and now to use
Before though we take any questions, I want to acknowledge the President of the
So again we salute
Here we are in Black History Month and of course there isn't a situation that arises that
Q: Thank you, Leader Pelosi, KCBS radio. This tax bill - working people are getting more money in their paychecks - what's wrong with that?
Leader Pelosi. Thank you for that question. As I said, we recognize that some people are getting a little bit more. But there is a banquet out there for the high-end and that's just not right. While they are getting a little bit more, they are getting things taken away and that's what we will see. They put this little goodie in there for people to say, 'This is the greatest thing', but at the same time, they took away things.
In our state of
So, temporarily, there is a small increase and that is welcomed, it is temporary. The huge tax break they gave to the high end and corporate America is permanent and unpaid-for. What they will tell you is, 'It pays for itself.' It doesn't. Even the architect of the plan [
So, again, while we may have an increase, we recognize that is a good thing, it is not permanent and it's small compared to what the high-end are getting and it's robbing from the future by increasing the national debt. This is a fight we will continue to make.
Q: Leader Pelosi, so much of this fight is about values,
Leader Pelosi. Thank you for your very important question. I did want to stay with this for the moment but I'd be pleased to go in that direction if that is the will of the group. I think we are at a tipping point moment in terms of people understanding how they're getting affected by that - sure I may get a little more in paycheck - but look what's happening to our society, our children's future and so this is a tipping point. I think we saw a tipping point when it comes to women and sexual harassment and the rest. The discussion has changed, we have gone to a different place. I think the Women's March, both last year and this year, women have said, 'I know that my showing up makes a difference.'
So this is reason to be very hopeful. On this issue, on gun safety, this is so important. You would have thought the death of little children in Newtown would have broken the heart of
This is the other tipping point. All we are asking for is the Speaker in the
We have been asking the Speaker for a long time for a select committee to come together to talk about what some possibilities are on what could get passed - an assault weapons ban, background checks,
So just give us a vote. They talk about shutting down the government, they have shut down the
When we had our sit-in with [Congressman] John Lewis, that was like a year and a half ago, on the Floor of the House to demand a vote from the Speaker which we didn't get, do you know what the response was? 'We want to have an investigation on who periscoped or tweeted out what was happening on the Floor.' They didn't want the public to know what was happening. I mean, really? We are talking about saving lives. These kids are doing a historical thing, they will make a big difference, they are channeling their grief, their sorrow, their anger. God bless us for that. As soon as we go back we will see what happens.
Q: On a different topic in the district, there is now talk about a second BART tube, your opinion on that and how it can be funded?
Leader Pelosi. You see, one of the other curiosities of this tax bill and this budget is, the President has always said he is going to have a big infrastructure bill and that is something we can work on in a bipartisan way. Except what he did was say well because, his staff told me, because we have such a big debt now created and grown by the tax cuts, that the infrastructure bill is going to be
Q: Do you support a second BART?
Leader Pelosi. I am just hearing that from you now and earlier this morning. What I am saying is you asked the question how is it going to be paid for. What I said to you is now repeated, these decisions about such a major infrastructure advance are regional decisions and have to be made in light of what is standing in line already and where the money will come from. But your former question was, how was it going to be paid for? There is no future for it in the budget that the President put forward.
Q:
Leader Pelosi. Well I have been in almost eight cities in the last ten days taking this message out there. Our members are doing that all over the country. The point is yes, as the gentleman from
You want to talk about the tax bill, the impact that it has on Medicare and Medicaid is what people should know. I think the number of
Q: I just wanted to find out will the
Leader Pelosi. Yes we do have a campaign it is called A Better Deal. Better jobs, better pay, better future. And the people will bring a better future for women, better future for rural America, better future for the
Q: The President recently tweeted that he would be in favor of doing something about background checks, do you think that is enough to change the dynamic in the House to get a vote on some kind of bill?
Leader Pelosi. Well it depends on what he is talking about. The President said two things. He said he wanted to do something about bump stock and background checks. Now what he said that he wanted to do about the bump stock is exactly the line of the
I welcome and hope that what the President is talking about will be so. So does that mean we have a vote on the floor? We have to ask the Speaker that because so far, so far, not Newtown, not Pulse, not
Thank you all very much!
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