According to National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Rick Scott “roadmap for Republicans,” should they take back Congress next November, Republicans plan to raise taxes on “over half of all Americans” — creating headaches for 2022 Republican incumbents and challengers alike, who will have to answer for Republicans’ planned tax hikes on working families.
Mitch McConnell and Republicans spent months dodging questions about their agenda. But in just “11 points,” Scott blew up his party’s effort to avoid talking about their plans to hike taxes on working families.
The Orlando Sentinel: “Scott, head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, issued the 11-point plan on Tuesday despite Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell declining to issue an official GOP Senate platform himself.”
The Washington Post’s Aaron Blake: “The political ads almost write themselves: The leader of the effort to elect a Senate majority wants to use that to raise taxes on as much as half of the country.”
Scott revealed that the GOP has no plan to combat inflation (which he’s called a political “gold mine” for Republicans), lower the cost of health care or prescription drugs, or help families pay for child care. But they do have a plan to ensure more than half of Americans pay more in taxes.
The Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin: “Let’s start with what is not in there: any proposal to bring down inflation (which Republicans have been hollering about for months); to increase wages or reduce income inequality; to prepare workers for the 21st-century economy; to provide relief from tariffs (which are essentially taxes); and to increase school performance on basic subjects.”
MSNBC: “Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida made a bold move today, unveiling a 31-page blueprint of the kind of ideas he wants his party to pursue when in it’s in the majority […] the senator added an economic idea that’s likely to get some attention in the coming months. From Scott’s plan: ‘All Americans should pay some income tax to have skin in the game, even if a small amount. Currently over half of Americans pay no income tax.’”
The Washington Post’s Aaron Blake: “ The language of the plan itself effectively acknowledges it’s advocating for an income tax increase on ‘over half of Americans.’” — a group of people that is overwhelmingly lower-income.”
The GOP push to raise taxes on working-class families comes after a year of opposing and trying to block President Biden’s expanded Child Tax Credit — a tax cut for 36 million families — and it follows Republicans using their 2017 tax law to gift billions in tax breaks to their billionaire donors and corporate backers.
MSNBC: “Indeed, the larger context is even worse than that: The same GOP that delivered massive tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations is led in part by a Republican who believes lower income Americans need to start paying more taxes.”
Judging by some Republicans’ already-prickly reaction to Scott’s admission, we’re sure that 2022 Senate Republicans will appreciate the NRSC chair’s goal to “have more of a conversation” when they are repeatedly asked, “‘Do you agree with the NRSC chair’s call for higher taxes on millions of Americans?’”
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Published: Feb 22, 2022 | Last Modified: Mar 1, 2022