Megan Lambert: Tax reform will hurt so many many Americans; benefit so few

Early morning on Dec. 1, the U.S. Senate took a big step forward on President Trump’s and the GOP’s horrific tax reform bill. Senators were given only a few hours to read and consider the over 500-page document, which was so hastily drafted that still-illegible notes were scrawled in the margins. Entire sections of the document clearly had been crossed out or modified just hours before it went to a vote. But it passed.

Monday, the House voted to appoint a committee to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions. If the Senate’s bill passes unchanged, it will strip insurance away from 13 million Americans.

This issue goes beyond partisan debates. It is not about “winning” for your “team.” It’s about protecting the rights of every American. The bill will repeal tax reductions for teachers who buy classroom supplies; it will ultimately hurt any person paying off student loans.

This is not a law that represents what America could and should be. It represents the wishes of the greedy. To Rep. Jim Costa and senators Kamala Harris and Dianne Feinstein: We demand you do everything you can to stop this bill from becoming law.

Merced residents, call your senators and representatives and demand action.

This story was originally published December 4, 2017 at 1:39 PM with the headline "Megan Lambert: Tax reform will hurt so many many Americans; benefit so few."