Call to Action: November 15, 2017


PREVENT MASSIVE AUTOMATIC PROGRAM CUTS: 
STOP TAX SCAM NOW!


#TrumpTaxScam 
#WhenWeFightWeWin

Yesterday, the Congressional Budget Office dropped a bombshell about the Trump Tax Scam.

It turns out the tax bill’s $1.5 trillion tax cut would violate a legal statute called “PAYGO”. The result: if the tax bill passes, it would actually force $136 billion in spending cutsdevastating healthcare and cutting $25 billion from Medicare.

Here’s why:
• PAYGO requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to analyze how legislation will impact revenue and spending
• At year’s end, OMB must offset any deficit increase by cutting mandatory spending programs, including 4% of Medicare and some ACA spending (social security, Medicaid and safety-net programs exempt)
• Since these healthcare cuts won’t completely offset deficit, Congress will probably cut entitlement programs even more
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/economy/reports/2017/08/28/437873/potential-impact-paygo-rules-tax-legislation/

If Democrats have to vote on whether or not to enforce the PAYGO statute, it puts them between a rock and a hard place – e.g., weighing cuts to Medicaid vs cuts to Medicare. We shouldn’t be arguing on the GOP terms.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/11/14/how-the-gop-tax-plan-could-leave-the-party-in-need-of-democrats-help/?utm_term=.d126faf2e3c8

We need to reframe this debate and simply stop the tax scam now in both chambers. Our MoCs must use all tools available to educate colleagues about PAYGO’s ticking time bomb and . . .

Kill The Bill!

 


**ACTION 1: Call our Senators and Congressman Walden**
(Leave a message if you can’t get through.)

SAMPLE SCRIPT:
“My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. I am calling about PAYGO, the time bomb that’s hidden in the Trump Tax Scam that will trigger automatic, across-the-board cuts to mandatory spending programs. I am asking the [Senator/Congressman] to speak out about the impact of PAYGO and the tax scam. Please promise that you will use all tools at your disposal (FOR SENATORS: “including withholding consent and filibustering where possible”) to stop this destructive bill. Thank you.”


**ACTION 2: Share with family and friends**

Share this post with friends and family. It is very important to educate them so that they are able to address their Members of Congress about the devastating implications of the PAYGO Statute. Help them call their Members of Congress.


SENATOR MERKLEY 
Portland: (503) 326-3386, DC: (202) 224-3753
Salem: (503) 362-8102, Eugene: (541) 465-6750
Medford: (541) 608-9102, Bend: (541) 318-1298
Pendleton: (541) 278-1129
https://www.merkley.senate.gov/contact/

SENATOR WYDEN 
Portland: (503) 326-7525, DC: (202) 224-5244
Salem: (503) 589-4555, Eugene: (541) 431-0229
Medford: (541) 858-5122, Bend: (541) 330-9142
La Grande: (541) 960-7691
https://www.wyden.senate.gov/contact/

WHERE’S CONGRESSMAN WALDEN 
DC (202) 225-6730, Medford: (541) 776-4646,
Bend (541) 389-4408, La Grande (541) 624-2400
https://walden.house.gov/contact-greg/email-me