system. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the senate the previous order, the senate outside the capital a rally marking tax day is underway today. members of congress, consumer advocates and union representatives are taking part. >> the idea that when we have massive income and income inequality they want to give tax breaks to billionaires and then cut programs at the middle class, the elderly, the children, the sick and the poor

need is morally reprehensible. and you know what? they're not going to get away with that because the american people are catching on. we are going to vote them out in november. we are going to transform, we're going to transform our national priorities. we're going to make this institution start working for the working families of this country, not just the one person. person. thank you all for what you are doing. [cheers and applause] >> thank you, senator sanders. next, we going to hear from representative lloyd doggett. he's from texas and he served in the house since 1995 and is also the ranking member on the house subcommittee on tax policies. please welcome representative doggett. [applause]

>> it tax day for everybody here, for millions of americans across our country lining up and getting the taxes paid. they are paying their fair share of the cost of having the greatest democracy in the world, for our national security and our domestic security. but you know these trump republicans, for some of those at the top are some of our most largest multinational corporations they converted tax day into tax break day. and for them at the time of jubilation, on wall street as the report all these great earnings as a result of not paying their fair share for the same national security that you're paying a fair share of. they are disguised as working families, something that 83% at the end of this decade will go to those in the top 1% year those are the people that at that time will be earning almost $1 million each year, and they get the bonanza. just a few minutes ago in front

of our committee over here, we had trump's treasury secretary. and like all those trump at they are all out boasting of bragging about how great this tax bill is. is. he talked about the many people that it only gotten a bonus. when i started doing the calculations, using his numbers, it comes out to about 97.5% of americans who haven't got a dime a bonus. of course those people up at the top if you're a ceo, and, of course, if your ceo you're always doing fairly well. you get paid 235 times what the average worker gets paid on the average. but if you're a ceo you probably got one of those bonuses. but most people didn't get anything and we're going to hear from someone in just a little bit who got a little bonus and then a big outsourcing of his job so i got laid off because of the outsourcing that is in this bill.

what about that promise from trumpet were going to get $4000 increase this year and every year in the average family income? has anybody here got a $4000 yet? >> no. >> i doubt you've got your $4500 that the treasury secretary would be forthcoming. it's just your typical republican bait and switch where you help those at the top and forget anybody else. of course the real cost that americans will pay from this bill is not what is not in your pocket today but what might not be in the future of america. the outsourcing of jobs. when legislation to crack that and that is really important to get done. but to also know how we're going to drain resources from this bill from where we need to be investing, , and that's investig in the american people. the little provision that they stuck in in our conference committee with any discussion before hand provide a tax break

just for those at the top that neither the house the house noe had previously proposed. and that tax bill in its cost alone will be about the same amount as what trump proposes to cut in his budget from higher education financing. as with so many other places, if this bill stays in effect and we don't make changes in it, it will have a big common negative impact on our economy, but our competitiveness and our ability to grow. you might say to mr. trump, you keep this in place and it will be not only you who has a stormy problem, but a stormy american future. let's reverse it. thank you. [applause] >> [chanting] >> over the last few months we've been touring the country holding trump tax town halls and teach ins talking to people

about what's in the bill and why it's not going to help them. and one of the congressional representatives that we had the pleasure doing some of these events with is going to come speak to us now. from arizona's third congressional district, please welcome representative raul. [applause] >> thank you very much. and that of difficult to follow his last little slogan. i told him that, too. i hate that. there's our reckoning coming. let me talk about that because the senators and mr. doggett and the people that follow will go, the reasons we are here, the tax scam, , the cuts that were passd by the republicans and the benefits that have accrued for people like the president, $11 million in tax breaks

because of this. the koch brothers is spent $100 million distance for me a to the american people about what this tax cut meant and what that tax scam meant to them and laying a false picture out, a billion dollars. that's what they will gain from this, and the list goes on. that 1% acquiring 83% of the benefit from the tax cuts. that's not america. and the reckoning is coming because america's seas to the cloud come to the line after the disinformation. and what they see is that there is no fairness, and what they see is there has to be a change, and november is coming and that's the reckoning. the reckoning to make a fair tax system that takes care of working people, and that

invests, invests in the children of this country, that invests in making sure that our educators and teachers are paid a livable, sustainable wage when they are in that classroom teaching our children. to invest in social security and not to use this tax cut as an excuse to decimate programs that the american people rely on. that is what the american people know, and the reckoning is coming. and the opportunity for new leadership to take this tax scam, not only revisit it but repealed the portions of that,, if not all, and begin a new with a tax reform that implies not by just language but is explicit about the idea of reform. reform, everybody paying their fair share, investing in the american people and taking this country from where we are right now to where we need to be consistent with our values.

fair, honest, transparent, and for the general public good. thank you very much. [applause] [chanting] >> vote them out. vote them out [chanting] >> our next speaker is a new yorker so don't think he's going to miss too many words. please welcome the chairman of the house democratic caucus, representative joe crowley. [applause] >> i i want to thank everyone fr being here this chilly chilly spring day. fired up and ready to go. you know, that trump's billionaires first tax scam, that's what it does, tax scam. not a tax cut but a tax scam. it does nothing to help working men and women in this country. it is the greatest bait and

switch i've seen in my years here in washington. he promised to help working men and women. he lied. he promised that he would have a better way. he lied. not unusual about this president. the overwhelming benefits towards the wealthiest 1% in our nation and the wealthiest corporations in the history of the world, they got a tax break and a permanent tax break. the biggest date and switch in the history of our country. we simply cannot stand by and allow it to rest. republican caucus needs to announce that it will repeal and replace this bill, this is the bill that needs to be repealed and replaced. they are focused on healthcare. repeal this bill, my republican

colleagues. i chair the ways and means committee and i heard one of my colleagues talk about the fact he's doing a lot of soul-searching after he voted for this tax scam, doing a lot of soul-searching. you know, this is all pretense -- untold doctor simone -- sister simone, doctor sister simone is you. and i suppose, sister, we have assumed as people of faith they may have souls but they didn't demonstrate when it passed this bill. because what this is all a setup for is so they can go after social security, medicare and medicaid. that's the setup. that's what this is all about. and we're not going to let them do that because we have children, we are veterans, we have students, we have working families that need a real break. in this bill does not deliver on that. so we're not going to rest and

when we take back the house, we will repeal and we will replace this bill. thank you all. [applause] [chanting] vote them out. vote them out. >> sister simone is, in fact, here. i think she just got another degree added to her name. that's fine, that's fine. she deserves it. this is a tireless advocate on behalf of those who do not have a voice. not only is she a sister, but she is the executive director of network and is a social justice warrior. please welcome my friend sister simone campbell. [applause] >> what an honor to be here on a day that i wished was more

happier day, a day of joy, a day and feeling like we are contributing to the common good as we pay our taxes. but i have to say, as i paid nine, i looked at it and said, what happened to the common good? why aren't we paying taxes saying we believe in education? why aren't we paying our taxes saying we are committed to those who are left out? why are we not paying our taxes saying we are committed to highways and in infrastructured caring for our planet and doing all of the things we care about for our nation and for our world? this tax policy is bad policy. it's bait and switch. it's a scam, but more than that, it's taking the heart out of our nation. i as a person of faith and here on this policy because it is preying on our worst souls.

it is challenging us to only think of me and mine, how much of a tax break did i get? i'm sorry, pope francis has made it abundantly clear last week that holiness, faith, engagement in a faith the journey requires a commitment to the common good, not to the individual good only. so i stand up here saying on calling on a few people to act in a holy fashion. isn't that a radical tax, rowling cry? be holy. be holy and care for the common good. be holy and care for each other be holy and assist that everyone in our beloved nation, the richest nation on earth has access to healthcare, has access to quality education, has access to affordable, quality broadband

service in our nation because everybody needs to be connected. so we at network, we are standing with you all to say we can do this. i learned something about the fight, during the fight for the affordable care act, protecting it. you can keep fighting even after something is passed. i learned that you can keep whittling away. i learned that we can stay engaged and in the end what was in the healthcare fight is that the needs of the people do triumph. so let us stand together, fight for what the common good, and ensure that with reasonable revenue to pay for our amazingly responsible programs and care for our entire nation, not just those who think they are in charge. thank you. [applause] [chanting] stop the tax scam.

>> one of thing sister simone brought up is healthcare, and one of the objectives of this tax bill is jubilant attack americans access to affordable care and affordable health insurance. and so it gives me so much honor to bring our next speaker to the stage. she is the woman responsible for the affordable care act, she is the first and only woman ever to be speaker of the house, and there i say she won't be the last, please welcome representative nancy pelosi. [applause] >> good afternoon, everyone. it is now afternoon. i am honored to be here with each and every one of you because i see many familiar faces, faces that were there a year ago when they all came

together across the country many places to ask for the president to release his tax returns. a year later still hasn't happened but in the course of that time, all of you come so many of you here and certainly some of us under the leadership of nicole gale -- let's hear it for nicole. [applause] >> have been having events across the country come so many of us came together to protect the affordable care act and then what got to do with your ever had to fight their tax, , the tx scam, their tax scam, they won the vote but they did not win the hearts and minds of the american people. and why? because of all of you, whether it was a lobbyist, whether it was our friends in the labor movement, but it was advocate for health care across the country. nicole gill and her tribe of people across the country right now yesterday they said a political loser. the public does not believe that

it is in their interest, and that is the cause of all of you. it's a scam. and why is it a scam? look at this. they put forth a tax bill that gets 83% of the benefits to the top 1%. they tried to call it a middle-class tax cut and yet 86 million middle-class families and the likes of this bill will be paying more taxes. giving corporate bill -- plus interest taking us over $2 trillion further into debt. mortgaging our children's future, placing a dark cloud over -- >> we need a new congress. [shouting] over a dark cloud over this capital, over our budget. so then they say, well, we have to make cuts because we've increased the debt. we're going to take $1 trillion

out of medicaid. isn't that obscene? i have to trillion dollars, have trillion dollars out of medicare, and heather booth knows this. where is heather? there she is, i just saw her. heather knows this, while they take i have trillion out of medicare, not this is consistent with them because they had said medicare should wither on the vine. they had bad in their budget that medicare should eliminate the guarantee, and instead the voucher, that's what -- further in that budget, trillion medicaid cuts, have to trillion for medicare, then they go on to take a couple hundred billion dollars from food stamps. $100 billion from education, hurting our children and the future. now, sister simone talked about pope francis, beautiful

pope francis. i'll talk about pope benedict, pope benedict first encyclical called god is love he quotes his favorite saint, st. augustine. and in god is love he quotes augustine as saying 17 centuries ago, 1700 years ago st. augustine said, any government that does not exist to promote justice is just a bunch of thieves. >> that's right. >> seventeen centuries ago. benedict goes on to say sometimes it's a challenge to define justice, but in doing so we must beware of the dazzling blindness of special interest money and power. >> amen. >> if is that today? is that today? >> we need a 50 state strategy. >> what we need is of the american people to know, and that is what you are doing, a

drumbeat across america to say this is not about our values with the budget is supposed be a statement of our national values. what is important to us as a nation should be how we invest in our children's future, and the retirement of her seniors and the air our kids breathe, the opportunities in the economy and the rest, be fair, fairness. that's not what this budget -- it's a shame. it's wrong. it's wrong and we just, we cannot let it stand. we won't let it stand. we won't let it stand. we won't let it stand. >> so thank you all very much for make sure it does of stanford natalie that tax cut doesn't stand but also the budget that they are proposed that is so lacking in values. so thank you all again, the little lobbyist, to our friends in labor, , to all of the supporters here, too nicole gale and not one penny. take you all very much.

[applause] [chanting] we won't let it stand. >> let's give it up for leader pelosi. [applause] >> our next speaker, were going to take a little bit of a different track ever going to welcome somebody who doesn't serve in congress but serves his family as a father and husband and takes care of his children, one of whom has a congenital heart defect, requires an extensive amount of medications and surgical procedures, and is now thriving but he's going to talk to us about what these cuts to medicaid, medicare and the cost prescription drugs mean to him and his family. please welcome from arizona steve gomez. [applause]

>> good afternoon. my son anthony was born in september 2015 with a condition known as transition of the greater arteries. corrective heart procedure was performed to eat after he was born but was unsuccessful requiring went to list him for a heart transplant. so for weeks later at six weeks old we were notified that another family had been strong enough -- sorry -- to get our boy another chance at life and he spent the next 12 hours in the or receiving his new heart. the transplant was successful and to look like things are turning around for our little man. however, as a side effect of the life-support he was on while awaiting transplant, he suffered come hit undergo a number of invitations to his hands and feet. through all of this, anthony has remained amazingly happy, almost annoyingly happy and energetic.

he was playing and roughhousing with me and his older brother and mom and is on his way to walking and running everywhere. [applause] >> however, our routine revolves around his olive oils and especially his medication schedule. when we first came home from the hospital he had 14 medications that totaled a number of 31 dosage throughout all hours of the day and night. fortunately, we are now down to seven medications and 11 dosages, but most of these will be, will likely be for the rest of his life. last year alone we spent well over $3000 out of pocket of prescription medications for anthony, and the only reason it was so low was because we readily met are deductible early in the year, thanks to multiple yard visit. this year we're in the same boat with regards to deductible and on track to spend even more on prescription drugs. while i feel the insurance carriers are definitely not

without their part in this, i think a huge blame should be shouldered by the pharmaceutical companies and the benefits they receive since trump scamp -- on sark, since trump tax was passed. >> i know that's right. it's a scam. >> it benefited wealthy corporations immensely in the drug companies probably more than most. the big pharmaceutical companies have announced massive bonuses and pants to shareholders and executives since the trump tax plan is passed and that's just unacceptable. >> unacceptable. >> not a single one of these companies use that tax cut to lower drug prices to families like ours further proving rewarding the wealthy does not trickle down to the average american family. in fact, drug companies have announced hundreds of price increases, many exceeding the so-called social contracts of no more than 10%. the trump tax plan that only provides massive benefits for corporations like trump's and the large pharmaceutical companies, it's doing all of

this while stripping away healthcare from american families. by reviewing repeating individe of the aca, millions are denied access to affordable health care. in addition the cbo has stated that premium increases as a result of trump tax will most likely be at a rate of 10% annually for many years to come. this plan was pushed through, scanlon plan, was pushed to in secrecy under the guides they would help american families but it's no secret now that are set up to benefit wealthy corporations. >> no hearings. >> according to the senate for responsive politics him making minutes nevers about september seek out a piece of $100,000 or more from pharmaceutical health product companies. the gop and trump like a office when he said this would help american families struggling with health care of costs. while these corporations and trump's friends get richer their

living kids like anthony and families like mine behind, this scam needs to be stopped. thank you very much for your time. [applause] [chanting] stop the scam. stop the scam. stop the scam. [chanting] >> our next speaker is representative jamie raskin from right here in maryland. [applause] hello. hello, tax march. [applause] anybody hear from eighth congressional district in maryland? all right. well. welcome to my constituent, elaina, i think about you from. he would show us his taxes but he showed us his tax policy, and it's a nightmare for america. probably almost as much of a

nightmare as the taxes are, but we don't know because he's broken from a half century of precedent by not disclosing his taxes to the american people. but we are going to work on that one, too. we're going to make that happen. but their tax bill last year was eight or one, that was a good designation for it because it was a bill for the top 1% of the american people. and now it's the law of the land. their tax ripoff, the tax can in h.r. 1% 1% added $2.3 trilliono the national debt which is now their excuse, there pretext for trying to shred medicare and medicaid and social security. [booing] >> are you going to lie down and let the gop and these big corporations roll all over you? that's the question today. we are not going to do it.

under the tax plan, 13 million americans will lose health care coverage, including people on medicaid, on employer plans and on the individual market. and the healthcare premiums are going to jump up dramatically for everybody else in the country. they say the only to certain things in life are death and taxes, and the trump administration wants to combine them together, okay? they said they're going to drain the swamp. they just moved into the swamp and drain the treasury instead. 83% of the benefit of their tax scam goes to the top 1% of the people, and 86 million real american families are getting socked with a tax increase because of their policy. so our job is to go out and tell the people and then vote them out. [chanting] vote them out. >> thank you very much. [applause] [chanting]

vote them out. vote them out. vote them out. [chanting] >> thank you, congressman. i'm so excited about our next speaker. she is very, very too many of you who have been fighting against the repeal of the affordable care act. her name is elena. she is of the coach of the healthcare voter campaign and she is the cofounder and copresident of little lobbyists, an organization that advocates for children with complex medical needs, including our own daughter. so please welcome them to the stage. [applause] ..

i am here with my amazing daughter. i am here on behalf of families like mine. families with children with medical needs. and we have been coming to capitol hill fighting for our kids to make sure that they have healthcare they need to survive and thrive. and the tax bill that congress just passed threatens all of that. those who voted for the tax bill gave trillions in tax cuts to the wealthy. they voted to add $1.8 trillion to the national debt. and we know, we know how they will try to pay off his debt. they told us! they are coming after medicaid.

so, i hear, i am here because i believe that members of congress need to hear the stories and see the faces of those affected by their votes. there are millions affected by their votes. this is my story. 3 and a half years ago i had a great pregnancy and an amazing birth. and then, 15 minutes after she was born, my daughter was rushed to nicu where she remained for the next five months. 169 days to be exact. since then, she has seen over a dozen specialists and has countless medical procedures. she uses a tracheostomy and a ventilator to breathe and a feeding tube for all of her nutrition. but i am thrilled to tell you

that she is thriving today. she is alive and thriving today because of the amazing medical care that she has received. she is alive and thriving today in great part because of medicaid. medicaid paid for her therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, her feeding therapy. medicaid pays for inclusive special education programs that she attends at the local public school. medicaid pays for the services and support from the community so children like her can live at home with their families and not an institution far far away. medicaid helps children with complex medical needs survive and thrive.

medicaid helps the families survive. medicaid helps mothers like me, sleep better at night knowing that our government is watching out for our babies. so i am here to say thank you medicaid. i am here to say, not one penny for corporations and the wealthy at the expense of our children's future. [applause] i am here to say, i am a healthcare voter. [applause] and families with children with complex medical needs are healthcare voters. families rely on medicaid our healthcare voters. we have healthcare voters here today. i am here to say, make no mistake, when you come after our kids, healthcare voters are coming after you!

[applause] thank you! [chanting] vote them out! >> thank you! she is waving goodbye. very cute! our next speaker is from california where i hope it is warmer there than it is here today. please welcome representative -- >> thank you for that and for sharing your story. thank you all for coming out to this really warm spring day! today, we are speaking out not just for ourselves but for the millionth of americans across

the country we know a scam when they see one. let's be clear, the gop tax bill is a scam. when any of you to join teletext cut is 82 percent of benefits to the wealthiest one percent of americans,that is a scam . when a tax cut to corporations -- rebuilding infrastructure or making healthcare more affordable, for middle-class families, that is a scam. when americans say that for republicans say that we can afford a tax cut for the rich but we cannot afford medicare or medicaid or social security, that is a scam! not only is it a scam, it is a total moral failure. in here is why. we have a wonderful caregiver benefits program that supports families of disabled veterans who need around-the-clock care.

the program is grounded. these families should only worry about caring for the wounded warrior. they should not have to worry about monthly bills stacking up or keeping food on the table. but this program is only available to post-9/11 veterans. as a member of the house veterans affairs committee i've been fighting to make caregiver benefits available to all veterans of every generation. [applause] the cost of doing that is $4 billion over five years. i have been told that that is too expensive. the cost of the republican corporate tax cut is $1.3 trillion. so, we can give $1.3 trillion to corporations but we cannot give $4 billion to veteran

caregivers? is there any morality in that? now listen to this. a good education is key to a successful future. would you agree? well, the new higher education bill cuts $15 billion in federal financial aid that makes college affordable for low income students. so, $1.3 trillion more for corporations and a $15 billion cut for low income students. is there any loyalty in that? republicans want veterans and students to pay for a corporate tax cut. but even more than that, here is what they really want. they want us to forget. in the coming weeks months and years they say we cannot afford funding, for medicare and they want us to forget that they

passed a massive tax cut. when they say we cannot afford medicaid they want us to forget that they gave more than $1 trillion in tax cuts. when they say we cannot afford social security, a program that all of you paid for, they want us to forget the tax scam. so, will we forget? will we forget? that's right, we will not forget! we will hold them accountable. thank you! we will vote them out! vote them out! vote them out! [chanting] >> thank you representative takano! one more round of applause, that was great! [applause]

the next speaker is a fellow lobbyists and healthcare voters that she fights for this rights of the son whose complex medical needs. >> hi, i am a little lobbyists and a healthcare voter and teacher. but most importantly i am the mother of a nine year old son who is very complex with medical needs. at this moment, he was born in my entire world changed. he has a disease causing general strength of a neuromuscular disorder. he most likely have never heard of this but that is okay. neither have most doctors. he was initially misdiagnosed in moments after he was born, i

was in the recovery from an emergency c-section and we were told that he would not survive. fortunately, the diagnosis was incorrect and ethan is now nine years old. ethan is one third grader. he is a happy, healthy little boy who lives with a gastric tube which helps supplement his nutritional needs and also has a tracheostomy and uses mechanical ventilation at night. he uses it to access one third grade classroom and he is in a when it comes to spelling. the way he is gone here is because access to medical care. this tax bill is threatening my sons access to care and i cannot be silent. he is able to do all the things that he does, horseback riding, piano lessons, going to the museum and school like any other nine-year-old boy because

of access to medicaid and private health insurance. the only way he can attend school safely is with a nurse. who is trained to care and respond to medical emergencies with the tracheostomy. private health insurance will not cover the cost.he is able to attend physical and occupational therapy because medicaid helps with the co-pay. he has a wheelchair, and a walker because medicaid helps. he is medically complex but because of access to medicaid as a result of the program he is a very typical nine year old boy. ethan is probably returning to class or from lunch at this very moment. and he will rest during recess they because he has -- after school. the cot he will rest on was purchased by his first grade teacher. she also bought him a blanket and a pillow.

she and -- it brings tears to my eyes thinking about it. they love him and they wanted him to be like any other third grader. any other in their classroom. she and his second grade teacher worked tirelessly to ensure every activity in the classroom was accessible to ethan. and that is a challenge because he is physically limited. but it was not a question of will ethan be able to participate, how they will modify the activity. these teachers go above and beyond. as a result of that, i stand with them and fight to an short a living wage so they too can take care of their families. [applause] if that is fortunate to have such teachers. with just a short drive across state lines -- from west virginia into virginia they will be able to make a much higher wage. but they choose to stay within their communities and take care of my child and all of the

children there in our community. as a result of that, when our local teachers took part in the nine-day work stoppage i stood with them. [applause] in a steel education is in such a crisis, medicaid that helps offset the cost for schools to provide services that are necessary for my son ethan and other children. medicaid helps ensure providing those children services other children are not being denied anything. without access to medicaid, i would not be able to work. and contribute to my local economy. the cost of his medicare was -- would shift. cuts to medicaid will and danger or take away the access. medicaid is so important to my

life and my son's life and the new tax law that we are protesting puts medicaid at risk. earlier this year i supported teachers striking. for majority of his life i have been standing by him to defend his healthcare. from the moment he was born, eight months in the hospital and every day since. and now i have to stand and defend my son against the lawmakers for trying to take away his access to care, the access that guarantees him a normal life. even as one of just 564 w. virginians that depend on this without access all of their lives are at risk. many of their illnesses are better treated early or prevented. let's face it. no one schedules cancer or

heart attack. my family did not sign up for a rare disease. there is nothing we could have done to prevent it. but ethan deserves to have the best possible life. with medicaid he has that opportunity. thank you. [applause] vote them out! vote them out! >> thank you, that was such a powerful story. i also wanted to give a shout out to the teachers in west virginia and beyond. . our next speaker is from minnesota. minnesota fifth congressional district. you may know him as the deputy chair of the democratic national committee. please welcome representative.

>> hello everybody! how are you doing out there? come rain or shine hot weather or cold, we had to stand up and fight for the best interest of this country. at some others are doing something else. let me tell you all, there's been a lot of conversation. especially like to thank those were not politicians that have come here to share with their perspective is on this. it is critically important that we get the human side. i would like to talk about a provision i think we need to highlight more. that when they pass this they may provisions so that the tax rate would be 21 percent, lowered from 35. but offshore subsidiaries would

be as high as 10 percent and lower than that. if you are making a product in the united states and they tell you that if you make it here, 21 percent. you make it there, 10 percent. then they are going to move that plant and that product elsewhere where they can exploit workers in other countries. now, the bottom line is this guy came in talking about you don't like -- i guess that change. just last week -- it is shocking that trump lied. but the bottom line is, these guys have set it up so that they are off shoring jobs. if you are the ceo of company you know in american law you have an obligation to maximize profits. if you don't, shareholders can sue you. you know that, right?

they can sue you if you do not maximize profits. that is the way that they set the system up. you can be saying i'm going to keep jobs in america but somebody can say, you can be making me more money. so they wrote this into the bill so they can try and exploit this all over the world. do not be surprised if somebody in another country ends up with a job that used to be over here. it is a tax bill that is driving up. and you might think at least i am comforted by the fact that somebody else somewhere else got a job. not so fast! because since pay in mexico has dropped about 13 percent, how is that? they have no labor rights, very

shaky democracy. if they do not want to pay you over there they just do not get paid. and their same wages go down 13 percent. not only will people in the united states lose jobs. people in other countries lose their jobs that they work for and with fewer rights and might even get shot and killed. the problem with this tax bill, we have got to make sure we fight. -- we will fight against this. let me wrap up by saying this. they will tell you cutting taxes will give more money to big companies so they can hire more. we know that trickle-down has always been a lie. and even since december when they passed it. they have merged and they have

stopped by bass and they have just about everything except take care of the american worker. we know now the lions share is going elsewhere. they're putting us out of work and we are going to fight this tooth and nail! we will absolutely remember in november every single day of the year get out there and fight everybody! [applause] vote them out! >> next, all with the chicago we have a representative. [applause] >> i'm so proud. do you know what? we represent the 75 percent of americans who know it is a tax

scam that the republicans gave us. when i ask you how you got a shout it out to them. he's a powerful than how do you feel? powerful! as you are! we are going to win this battle. the republicans, the top corporate leaders, rich people are celebrated. says time is limited. this is a sad day for workers and the people know what is going on. instead of creating good jobs, for americans, republicans tax bill is -- shame! instead of boosting workers wages, corporations are buying back stocks and paying out dividends to shareholders. shame! instead of reducing income and equality in the country, the republican tax bill, it widens

the gap to the richest one percent by giving them 83 percent of tax breaks shame! instead of raising revenue for infrastructure education and healthcare, republicans tax bill social security and medicare and medicaid at risk. shame! workers and their families were scammed by the gop and they know it. and only one in four americans think republican tax bill is a good idea. americans deserve better. they deserve a better deal. we need a tax code that raises taxes on the rich and so people do not outsource american jobs and support working families. we are the richest country in the world. do not ever say that there is not enough money. to do these things. there is plenty of money!

this is the richest moment in history. the united states of america overall has never been richer. we have the money to invest in our future. quality education, affordable healthcare and a world-class infrastructure. the money is there. you we can only do it if we demand that corporate ceos and multinational corporations pay their share! thank you! [applause] >> i am sensing a theme! our next speaker is a d.c. native. she is a proud member of 1332

bj. let's give it up to our friend. she has worked as a security guard for many years keeping people safe and office buildings right here in dc. she is a longtime civil-rights activist. please welcome judith -- [applause] >> first of all i want to shout out to my brothers and sisters and union. in the unions, we are the people that do not want this tax sham. it is costing us our jobs. it is taking our money and i have to make one small correction. i was born and reared in new york city. where they still give you an education before you leave high school. at least they did then. not so much now.

education, medicaid, medicare and social security. this is what we're using to pay for the tax scam. as executive officer i keep people safe. i babysit these buildings. that is what i do. if i was not a proud member of seiu local 32nj, includes cafeteria workers, school bus drivers, woman say cleaners, that is why your restaurant is clean, that is why your desk trashcan is empty. that is us. okay? i've been speaking out,

picketing and organizing. racial equality. my church was just here last week fighting for what? racial equality. shout out to my young brothers and sisters the week before that that we are fighting to go to school without teachers having to carry guns. if i did not belong to a union i would not be able to live on what the prophet holders want to pay us. today i am 71 years old and i'm sick and tired of the lies that republican lawmakers and their donors keep spreading. i want to thank all of the democrats who finally got -- and the few brave republicans

that voted against this tax plan. we, the members of seiu local 32nj through these united states demand lawmakers repeal the trump taxpayer we were told that this would free corporations to raise wages and increase manufacturing jobs in america. what is that? let's say it again! it is a lie! in fact the trump tax scam makes it four large corporations to have manufacturing abroad. the trump tax, the republican trump tax manages to read the tax code even more for the very richest one percent. you heard that. including donald and the republican donors that keep on winning elections because you suppress the vote, you claim to

have the people that are voting are not qualified to vote. you make up lies about people that vote twice. and then, you dissuade people from going to the polls. highway patrol men are saying you cannot use this road right now. and they win elections. how do we win elections? how do the people win elections? knock on those doors and you tell the people the truth! adding insult to injury, this plan will strip us from access to affordable healthcare and it raises healthcare cost for working families. everyone has told you that they plan to pay for the tax law and the mind-boggling, spiraling it will create by cutting funding for my lifeline.

medicare and social security. and for workers raising families and workers facing illness. i have a question for the president. what is your plan for the majority of americans will relying on the programs that we paid for and over our entire lifetime, we did not invest in stocks. we invested in social security. we invested our taxes in america. a better education, a better life and a better future than the working-class people have. what is the plan for us end you need to hear our plan for you. [applause] the american people are not as dumb or vulnerable as you think we are. we are doing the math. we are reading the details.

and we are sharing with other american workers, what we have figured out. this tax scam is for greedy corporations and political minions and clever little lobbyists. it is simply a broad daylight theft from the american middle-class workers and our working poor. retail this sham of a tax reform law in the session. this is nothing to be proud of. this is not to retire and go on to your retirement and if it's that you are cutting from all of the union workers. yes, this is not for you to run off and be proud of. repeal this mess before -- this is not a threat, this is a

promise. we will cut american states, people in office that will recap it and it will not take us until 2025 to do so. [applause] vote them out! vote them out! vote them out! >> one of the lies that republicans told as they tried to sell the build was that it was going to help small business. and the benefits that they get to corporations and businesses would trickle down. next we are going to hear from someone that owns a business. stephen price owns and operates card marketing services. employs dozens of people. he is also the vice chair of

the patriotic millionaires. please welcome stephen! [applause] >> i am from tennessee and this is called! i was not ready for this. i did not come dressed nor do i think i could hold a candle to judith. that is pretty impressive. she needs to be running for office. my name is stephen and i'm the vice chair patriotic millionaires. we are a group of people from all over the country high net worth individuals and think what is going on in this building behind us is wrong. we are fooling a lot of people in america that by cutting taxes that people like me, rich people, what we will do is turn around and grow jobs. i grow jobs anyway. i do not need a tax cut to grow jobs. if i have a good business idea i'm going to invest my money and hire people to do the work. i do not need a tax cut to do that. i think the term sham was his

earlier and better kidsb to pour more money in the pockets of people like me. i'm a little weird guy and that was the people i hang around with our in the same social economic category that i am. we are all rich, we all have airplanes, multiple homes and we sit around and argue about this and i think that i am crazy because i believe that everybody needs to be taken care of. this economy in the country needs to be an inclusive country. and they don't realize that most of them look like me. they did not realize that one of the biggest benefits that they got in life was being born in the united states of america. that is a pretty big leg up. what they really fail to understand is that they are mostly white guys. and who gets eliminated from a lot of the opportunity in america are women and people of color. we have got to include everybody. all solutions have to adjust

everyone, not just us. if it does not work for everyone and in my opinion it doesn't work! somehow, someway we have to get this country back on track. the way will do is to tell these people that work in the building measured they don't work for just rich people like me, they were for everybody! all 330 million americans have got to be taken care of whether it is healthcare, education, infrastructure. no matter what it is it has to work for everybody! if not, we are going to go back to what our forefathers left europe for in the first place. we're going to go back to have an oligarchy with very few people that get all of the rewards and all of the benefits. that is not what america was built for. raise hell! [applause] don't take it anymore!

and you, yourself are not enough you need your friends and family to do the same thing. get out there and raise hell! i love all of you! god bless america! [chanting] vote them out! vote them out! vote them out! >> with can use a congress that works for working people. we really could! we are going to bring up another member, i'm sorry a friend of labor. a member of the communications workers of america. my friend merle melton. he has worked for at&t for more than 30 years. in detroit. he has worked hard. he deserves every penny that he paid into social security and medicare. please welcome merle. [applause] >> good afternoon.

my name is merle melton. i'm the president of communication workers of america local 4004 hundred detroit michigan. thank you. until a few weeks ago i was also a service representative at an at&t call center in detroit. i'm speaking up today about at&t and that broken promises of companies benefiting from the presidents tax plan. at&t is our country largest communications company. they make nearly 30 billion and profits last year. it seems like a lot of money to me. but i guess at&t ceo randall stephenson does not think it is enough. he fought really hard to measure the tax bill congress is working on gave big permanent tax cuts to corporations. he said corporations had more money they would use it to raise wages for people like me. and create more jobs. he promised to invest billion dollars and create 7000 new

jobs. if the tax bill passed. the bill passed. at&t has recused benefits from the bill. they got 20 billion in tax cuts. instead of keeping the promises about jobs, randall stephenson is about to lay off and call foreclosures. -- call for call center closures. one is a detroit where i worked for 25 years. they made the announcement just 10 days before christmas. my coworkers are also being laid off have all had over 15 years with the company. that is over 100 jobs. those are gone. these are jobs detroit cannot afford to lose. we work hard day in and day out. helping grow at&t into the

successful company it is today. but instead of rewarding us for dedication, at&t leaving our community. at&t is cutting jobs in detroit. but there's plenty of work to be done. instead of having us do it they want contractors. including those who are not in the united states. that's right. given speaker paul ryan said that passing the bill would stop job -- i'm here to tell you companies like at&t are breaking promises and moving our work overseas. we are not the only ones to suffer this. since last year at&t laid off thousands of people in cities across the country, dallas, kansas city, houston, birmingham, cleveland, columbus and many many more. i say shame on at&t. i also say shame on president trump and the republicans in congress passed the tax bill.

because the bill does not just cut taxes for corporations. it also gives tax breaks to company that send jobs overseas. i know that sounds crazy but it is true. the congressional budget office just put out a report confirming it. my coworkers and i are tired of broken promises that we are fighting back. we are organized, angry and we will not be underestimated. we need to make sure that congress fixes problems they created with the tax bill. it means getting our representatives to support the no tax breaks for outsourcing act that represented the senator whitehouse have introduced. also need to stand up to the css pay themselves and their wealthy friends on wall street first. while the rest of us wonder whether our jobs will be the next to be sacrificed. to pump up the stock price. right now they are nearly

14,024 contract at at&t. -- we stand behind you 100 percent. we want to keep good, can you believe that even with all of the money they got from the tax cut, at&t insisted that we pay more for our healthcare. and that is not right. we are willing to do what it takes to win the fight. we have voted to strike if necessary. with billions in profits and tax breaks, at&t should be a leader at creating good jobs in the united states. it is past time for companies like at&t to look up from their bottom line and show that they are serious about investing in the countries future. thank you so much. god bless. [applause] [chanting] fight back, stand up!

>> our next speaker needs no introduction because he has been literally standing up and fighting back since november 8, 2016. ben from moveon.org. >> ladies and gentlemen, we have been robbed! but the people write the laws are those who robbed us. several going to call? republicans said amongst themselves they are on the right leg so that they had to pass the tax scam to get reelected. but the second they passed it, they started retiring in droves. they said they had to pass the tax scam to get reelected. but every time there is a

special election, they clam up about it. they are running from it, not on it! they said they passed the tax scam to get reelected and then democracy you would think, to get reelected that you do things that voters like. the only people like the tax scam are those reaping billions of dollars from it and a lot of them do not live in the united states of america. this is a scam. this is not democracy, this is oligarchy. but we still have the last say! last year, they came for our healthcare. to give tax cuts to the rich and corporations and stopped them. now, they gave a tax cut to the rich and corporations and their plan is to come for our healthcare. even more of it later. we are going to stop them

again! because the last year and and a half we have marched, we have called, we have been out here outside the capital, outside of congressional offices every week make or shine, hot or cold. this november, we are going to vote! there's a little phrase that they came up with when they wanted to take our healthcare away. and although they never quite figured out what it would mean, it was repeal and replace. folks, i think it is time today to repeal the trump tax and replace the ones that pass it. repeal the trump tax, replace the ones that passed it. thank you. [applause] >> thank you ben wikler!

our next speaker has dedicated her career to lifting women and families out of poverty and she does the work right now at the national women's center. please welcome -- >> thank you! they tell me that women have been viewing -- we make up the majority of the calls needed to congress and where running for office in record numbers. [applause] so, should be a wake-up call to these guys, right? that we are the ones that should be listening to. but, instead, they keep introducing and passing bills that are just a bad deal for women. less talk about the tax plan. it's nothing but a tax cut for

corporations and the wealthy. they're giving a tax cut. there creating a new loophole for hedge fund managers, law firm partners and even real estate companies. all of us here are the ones left footing the bill. by 2027, 100 million households will see their taxes raised. and the bill also directs the affordable care act. that means 13 million fewer people will have health insurance. so now, after they give this massive tax rate, they're adding $1.9 trillion and they are saying that we have a debt problem. they are saying we need to cut programs that are essential to women and families.

right now, they are telling us that we need to cut nutrition. many families go hungry. and guess whose lives are on the line? that's right! you and me, it is ours, women. 63 of adult recipients of food nutrition are women. and now they're saying we need to cut medicaid because somehow miraculously families can go without care. whose lives are on the line? it is ours. and ours, women and girls. there are over 33 million women and girls who depend on medicaid. medicaid pays for half of the births in the nation. i had to say that we have had enough. [chanting] we have had enough!

we have had enough of their attempts to take away our healthcare. we have had enough of the millionaires and billionaires getting all of the prizes and us getting scraps. we have had enough of their lies. this is what they're doing for the middle class. i called bs! we know who they are doing it for and it is not us! for everyone who voted on the plan, we have had enough. we are sick and tired of you not doing your job. this is not the test plan we asked for and we demand that you repeal this now! thank you. repeal this now! repeal this now! [chanting] >> we are going to hear from another healthcare advocate and community organizer. she is based right here in

washington d.c. and is a champion for higher education and marginalized communities. please welcome, -- [applause] >> hello everyone. i'm so glad to be here even know it is a little bit chilly. as i said, i'm the kind of a higher education nonprofit that assists students with disabilities in washington d.c.. much like you, i was saddened when congress passed the tax cuts. it does not balance the budget at all. it lines the pockets of the rich and wealthy. including the commander-in-chief. more importantly it affects average americans like you and me. as you can tell, i am part of a unique class of americans. americans living with disabilities. believe it or not, there are 56.7 million of us out here. though i am 27 years old, i have a medical rap sheet of a

senior citizen. [laughter] at age 11 i survived not only one organ transplant but to! both the heart and kidney. strangely enough, my friends, the bionic woman because if possibly break down, doctors keep putting new ones in there. [laughter] this means i'll be on medication for the rest of my life. i thought i was out of the woods after surviving the nearly impossible. but i was wrong. i was diagnosed with cancer and became a cancer survivor at age 25. i spent years wondering if i could pay my medical debt the minute i turned 18. and i was on my own to find my own private healthcare insurance. i had friends with chronic illness just like me who would enroll in community colleges just to withdraw and fail. simply to be placed on their

parents insurance. and imagine having thousands of student loan debt with no degree to show for it. just to avoid medical debt. but they changed the game. and allowing young people like me to stay on our parents health insurance. this enabled me to receive life-saving cancer treatment at johns hopkins cancer center. for years, lawmakers have tried and failed to repeal the aca. think about it, so many politicians built their entire careers on quote - unquote obamacare. but do you see them talking about it now? that is because they using term tax cuts to the aca. the existing funding for medicaid, social security, disability insurance, food stamps and other social service programs.my disabled friends benefit from.

shame! many of my friends rely on these programs. but the question is, what is the value of the disabled life in america? they cannot kill the aca. so they put more tax cuts. to limit the individual mandate, it will cost all of us more. 13 million americans are at risk for losing their health plans. shame! not only that, premiums will skyrocket. these tax cuts will increase the wealth of two and his cronies. those he golfs with! policies like medicaid work wttw.com/comments and drug tests was effective with disabilities who are unable to work due to illness or those caring for sick or disabled

family members or in general. they are cruel and based on stereotypes that the poor are lazy and are not working hard enough. unfortunately, there are far too many lawmakers and people that believe this myth that federal taxes are some generous gift that the sick, poor and downright lazy benefit from. when in actuality, all of us benefit. from public schools, some of your children attend and public libraries, the roads that we drive on and the veterans that we pay for protecting our country. even things like life-saving medical research. most americans are against the tax plan. because it is a choice between corporate welfare and social welfare. i'm a college educated woman that was a 40 hour week full-time job and i reflect the inappropriate bootstrap story.

i started working when i was 16. i started my nonprofit by 19 and i worked in the obama white house by age 20. [applause] i am the story of personal accountability and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. but this threatens my healthcare. and it does not matter how hard you worked if you're a member of a marginalized with you are at the mercy of how they view you as valuable. the cost of health insurance rise and my friends and other people with disabilities will likely be placed in institutions like nursing homes. i have private medical insurance. so i am not one of these people affected by medicaid. but every time i hear about another piece of legislation that takes and chips away at the aca, i see my life and the

life of others in the balance. it is time to end the transfer tax cuts, it's time to repeal. thank you so much for allowing me to share my story. [applause] [chanting] fight back, stand up! >> thank you everyone for hanging out here. i know it is not the warmest day that we have experienced. but it is time to close with our friend frank. he is the cochair and cofounder of the south carolina small business chamber of commerce. small businesses. real small businesses. he is also the cochair of businesses for responsible tax reforms.an organization that

fights for tax reform that helps true small, mainstream businesses grow and hire. please welcome frank! [applause] >> i am the only one standing between you and what? i will try to get through this. thank you for the introduction. i will not repeat all of that. one thing she did not say that i am also one of the 30 million small business owners in this country that creates half of the private sector jobs in this nation. [applause] small businesses led the way out of the great recession by creating two thirds of the private sector jobs since 2008. you would have thought that with everything small businesses do and have done for the country that we would be on the top of the priority list when congress got around to doing taxes. right? no! [laughter] instead, small businesses are basically an afterthought. we got the leftovers after

corporations got the feast. thank you to everyone that are still here. corporations got a 40 percent tax rate cuts. valued at over $6 trillion. but 90 percent of small businesses are not corporations. we are llcs and so proprietorships. we are called pass-throughs because we pay taxes on the business income, personal tax returns. small business did not get an automatic simple, permanent 40 percent tax rate cut. what we did get was something called a deduction. that we have to qualify for and ends in seven years.

a lot of noise has been made about bonuses that you've heard. 400 businesses give bonuses because of the tax law that passed. but remember, there are 30 million small businesses. so, what do small businesses owners really think about this? we have heard about how the public does not like it. it turns out that small businesses do not really like it either. businesses were responsible tax reform did a poll of small business owners is in for battleground states. what we found basically was that small business owners do not think that the benefits in this tax law are going to give them enough to hire more people or to raise salaries. what they did know is that the tax law did not create a level playing field between small businesses and corporations.

so, we do need tax reform that simplifies taxes for small businesses. and that actually help us grow. but instead, we got complexity, confusion and not much benefits. this tax law has failed small business. we need a congress that will start over, do it the right way and put small business owners at the top of their priority list. [applause] thank you all for being here! [chanting] >> i want to close with our demands. repeal the trump tax! [chanting] call your member! email, show up and vote! thank you everybody for being here!

[applause] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]

[inaudible conversations] request the rally on the east front of the capital wrapping up. we heard from a number of lawmakers remarks which you can watch later today on our website c-span.org. you can also check their for information on what sent by when it will air on our network. -- of the consumer financial protection bureau role regarding auto financing. before they come back this afternoon, we are hoping to hear from republican and