Statement on Tax Reform Bill

December 20, 2017

Utahns Against Hunger echoes the concerns of the Food Research & Action Center about the impact the tax reform bill will have on vulnerable Americans.

We also call on Utah’s congressional delegation to mitigate potential cuts to programs like SNAP, Medicaid, school meals, and other work support and safety net programs. The vast majority of those who access these programs are seniors, children under the age of 17, and people with disabilities. Cuts to these program in any form will increase poverty, hunger, and impact generations to come.

Utahns Against Hunger is committed to fighting for these programs, if you are interested in helping fight these efforts please go to our web-site www.uah.org and sign up to receive action alerts.

-Gina Cornia, Executive Director

“The tax bill passed by Congress today is a great disservice to the American people. It gives huge tax cuts to the rich, while giving tiny cuts — or tax increases — to millions of low- and moderate-income households. And the modest tax cuts for these households are written in disappearing ink.

Not only is the bill deeply flawed as a tax measure, but it creates a $1.5 trillion deficit that will be used to justify Republican proposals to cut programs essential to tens of millions of Americans. GOP leadership has made clear that it will target for deep cuts SNAP, Medicaid, school meals, Supplemental Security Income, housing assistance, the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit for low-wage working families, and other safety net programs.

Slashing these essential supports will increase hunger and poverty, reduce learning and productivity, harm health, drive up health care spending, harm economic growth, and inflict a range of other irreparable harms on generations of Americans.

The Food Research & Action Center will continue to resist efforts to direct all the fruits of the American economy to the richest among us, and resist efforts to cut food and housing assistance, health care, and other critical programs that help everyday Americans make ends meet.”

-Jim Weill, President, Food Research & Action Center.