U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist said he’s against the proposed Republican tax reform bill because it adds more than a trillion dollars to the national debt, benefits the wealthy at the expense of the middle class, will cause health insurance costs to skyrocket and allows drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Preserve.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-St. Petersburg, renewed his opposition to the proposed tax reform proposal, calling it a “fiscally irresponsible, morally bankrupt Republican tax package.”

The plan prioritizes special interests over the middle class, with large cuts reserved for the top 1 percent of earners, a doubling of the estate tax exemption, providing corporations with massive, permanent tax cuts – while individual breaks are much smaller and temporary, Crist said in a statement released today (Dec. 19). The proposal includes a provision that will disrupt the health insurance marketplace causing premiums to skyrocket, allows drilling in the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and adds, at minimum, $1.45 trillion to the national debt.

“The Republican-led Congress and White House missed a great opportunity to work in a bipartisan way to simplify the tax code and make it work better for the American people, particularly the middle class. Instead, we have a hyper-partisan product that writes the rigged economy into law – while creating major disruption in the healthcare marketplace, damaging our environment, and jacking up the national debt to new heights,” Crist said. “Massive cuts for big corporations and the wealthiest will only further shrink our middle class and stack the cards against small businesses. Exploding the deficit saddles future generations, limiting their economic prospects. And slashing Medicare by $25 billion breaks a promise to our seniors.

“For the good of the American people, I pray my colleagues have a change of heart. No political victory is worth the cost of this bad bill.”

Crist represents Florida’s 13th Congressional District, which includes south and mid-Pinellas County.

For information about Crist, go to crist.house.gov.

Charlie Crist | Tax Reform | GOP Tax Plan | Republican Tax Plan | Politics | Tampabay News

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