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November 29 , 2017 the Honorable Mitch Mcconnell the Honorable Charles Schumer U.S. Senator U.S. Senator Majority Leader Minor

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November 29 , 2017 the Honorable Mitch Mcconnell the Honorable Charles Schumer U.S. Senator U.S. Senator Majority Leader Minor November 29, 2017 The Honorable Mitch McConnell The Honorable Charles Schumer U.S. Senator U.S. Senator Majority Leader Minority Leader SC-230 SC-221 Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510 Dear Majority Leader McConnell and Minority Leader Schumer: We, the undersigned faith leaders representing the Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Buddhist and other faith traditions and denominations across the country, express our strong opposition to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act adopted by the Senate Finance Committee. This bill violates our moral principles of equality, justice, and fairness. We call on Congress to oppose the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act due to our strong belief that this bill is fiscally irresponsible, endangers our country’s economic health, and disproportionately benefits the wealthy at the expense of vulnerable people and low-income families. Moreover, we have grave concerns over the manner in which such a large and complex bill, affecting the entire economy and millions of Americans, is being recklessly rushed through Congress. The Senate Tax Bill does not reflect the priorities of the faith community. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act fails to include proposals that lift struggling workers and families out of poverty. The bill fails to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit even though millions of low income workers are currently taxed into poverty because they do not qualify for the credit. Likewise, the Child Tax Credit is significantly expanded for high income workers but not for low-income working families. Worse, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminates the child tax credit for immigrant taxpayers whose children do not have social security numbers. This threatens to drive millions of children and mixed-status families into poverty. Targeting immigrant families in this way contradicts our call to care for the vulnerable, especially children. The flow of benefits show misguided priorities. While specifics may vary, the general framework for these tax reform efforts reveals a common theme: corporations and the wealthiest in our nation will receive the lion’s share of the benefits at the expense of people experiencing poverty and low-income working families. The Joint Committee on Taxation found that under the current Senate plan, taxes on households earning $20,000 to $30,000 experience a 13% tax increase beginning in 2021. By 2027, these taxpayers would see a 25% tax hike. At the same time, households with incomes above one million dollars will receive an average tax cut of $43,300. Repeal of the individual mandate undermines the right to healthcare. As people of faith, we believe that access to quality, affordable health insurance is a right. The individual mandate is critical to keeping individual market coverage affordable and keeping the individual market stable. By repealing the individual mandate, legislation will cause catastrophic losses in health coverage. The CBO estimates that the number of uninsured individuals would increase by 13 million by 2025, which violates our faith teaching. We need reasonable revenue for responsible programs that benefit the common good. The current Tax Cut and Jobs Act is fiscally irresponsible. It would grow the deficit by at least $1.5 trillion over the next decade. This not only endangers America’s economic health, but it will also create enormous pressure to cut the safety net and critical human needs services to reduce this growing deficit and debt. As things stand, Congress is struggling to fund disaster assistance and prevent cuts to vital anti-poverty programs. We cannot afford to balloon the deficit with this bill and contend with the very tangible and pressing needs of our people—it violates principles of fiscal and moral stewardship. The Tax Bill would negatively affect charities by altering the rules about charitable deductions. As faith leaders actively involved in charitable organizations across the country, we know firsthand how charities work to meet basic needs of the most vulnerable populations. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act makes it less likely for people to itemize their taxes, reducing the number of people who could benefit from charitable donations. The changes to the estate tax further diminish the incentive for many people to give to charities—all at a time when the government is likely to cut federal funding for safety net programs. The combined impact of this bill on the resources available to us undercuts our ability to assist and empower individuals struggling to make ends meet. As people of faith, we view decisions about tax policy and the federal budget as moral decisions. Simply put, this proposed legislation is fundamentally unjust. If it becomes law, it will result in harmful consequences for those most needing support so as to the benefit high-income earners and big corporations. We oppose this bill and urge the Senate to present true, revenue-neutral tax reform that takes into account the needs of the most vulnerable members of our society. Sincerely, Sr. Simone Campbell NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice Bishop Carl Swaringim Washington, DC Ecumenical Catholic Church+USA Dardenne Prairie, MO Bishop Robert T. Hoshibata Desert Southwest Conference, Bishop Peggy Johnson The United Methodist Church Eastern PA Annual Conference Phoenix, AZ United Methodist Church Mont Clare, PA Bishop Thomas Gumbleton Archdiocese of Detroit Detroit, MI Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference Sr. Margaret Alandt of the United Methodist Church Immaculate Heart of Mary, Leadership Mars, PA Council Monroe, MI Bishop Kenneth Carder United Methodist Church Sr. Bernardo Alayza Mujica Chapin, SC COASAP Surquillo, IA Bishop James Burch Catholic Dioceses of One Spirit Rev. Dr. David M. Alberts Cliftop, VA Prescott Valley, AZ Sr. Rosemarie Abate Sr. Louise Alff Home Visitors of Mary Sisters of St. Francis Detroit, MI Syracuse, NY Sr. Beth Adams Rev. Dr. Charles Alkula Benedictine Sisters of Erie Stevensville United Methodist Church Erie, PA Stevensville, MT Sr. Marjorie Adams Rev. Richard Allen Sisters of St. Joseph Diocese of Green Bay Erie, PA Appleton, WI Rev. John Adamski Rev. Jeffrey Allen Atlanta, GA West Virginia Council of Churches Sr. Kathleen Adamski Charleston, WV Sisters of Saint Francis of Neumann Communities Sr. Lynn Allvin Charleston, SC Dominican Sisters of Oakford Florence, AZ Rabbi Ruth Adar San Leandro, CA Ms. Pat Altermatt Congregation of St.Joseph Sr. Gail Addis Detroit, MI Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Monroe, MI Rev. Robert L. Amundsen Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Dr. Michael Adee Lafayette, CO Presbyterian Church (USA) Santa Fe, NM Mrs. Kelly Anderson Saint Vincent De Paul Our Lady of the Valley Rabbi Alison Adler Conference Voice of the Poor Temple B'nai Abraham Nampa, ID Beverly, MA Ms. Laura Anderson Mr. James Ahrend Franciscan Peace Center Bakersfield, CA Clinton, IA Rev. Dr. Antonio Aja Pastor Kathleen Anderson Westminster Presbyterian in Santa Fe Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Santa Fe, New Mexico Mill Creek, WA Sr. Agnes Anderson Sr. Vicky Arndorfer Servants of Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters of Mercy/Mercy Medical Center Monroe, MI New Hampton, IA Dr. Elizabeth Anderson Rev. Keith Arnold Sisters of St. Joseph Jefferson Unitarian Church Vernon, CT Denver, CO Rev. Andrea Andress Sr. Margaret Ann Arnold Paradise Valley United Methodist Church School Sisters of St.Francis Paradise Valley, AZ Milwaukee, WI Sr. Margaret Andrews Rev. Jonathan Arnpriester Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Chandler United Methodist Church St. Louis, MO Chandler, AZ Sr. Lou Anglin Rev. Marvin Arnpriester Sisters of Charity, BVM Sun Lakes United Methodist Church Dubuque, IA Chandler, AZ Sr. Mary Ann Sr. Nancy Arroyo Srs. of St. Francis Ursuline Sisters Fair Lawn, NJ New Rochelle, NY Dr. Kathleen Antol Sr. Therese Arru Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Sisters of Charity of Nazareth South Bend, IN Nazareth, KY Mrs. Connie Apperson Sr. Catherine Artale Most Sacred Heart Catholic Church Congregation of the Infant Jesus Eureka, MO Roclville Center, NY Rev. Karen Appleby Sr. Jo-Ann Aschenbach First United Methodist Church of Congregation of the Infant Jesus Hendersonville North Carolina Rockville Centre, NY Hendersonville, NC Sr. Patricia Aseltyne Sr. Irma Araneta Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Monroe, MI Los Angeles, CA Rev. Kevin Ashe Rev. Joseph Archie Sacred Heart The United Methodist Church Brick, NJ Middletown, DE Rev. Leah Atkinson Bilinski Rev. Deana Armstrong Fauntleroy UCC First Congregational UCC Seattle, WA Craig, CO Fr. Pierre Aubin Sr. Angelica Armstrong Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Dominican Sisters of Peace The Catholic Community of Cape Vincent Columbus, OH Rosiere and Chaumont Cape Vincent, NY Nazareth, KY Sr. Nancy Audette Sr. Rosemary Balog Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Congregation of St. Joseph Bloomfield, CT Kalamazoo, MI Rev. Kenneth J. Augustine Sr. Mary Balthasar St. Luke Catholic Church Sisters of St. Francis of the Neuman Brookfield, WI Communities Williamsville, NY Rev. Bryan Austill Dillon, CO Mr. Harry Baltzer Huron, SD Sr. Mary Louise Averbeck Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Rev. Cecilia Baranowski Americas Sisters of Mercy Cincinnati, OH Wolcott, CT Sr. Patricia Baca Sr. Bernadette Barker Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Congregation of St.Joseph St. Louis, MO Fraser, MI Sr. Christine Backiel Sr. Jane Barman Sisters of St Joseph of Peace Sisters of the Divine Savior Jersey City, NJ Milwaukee, WI Sr. Carol Baetz Sr. Rose Ann Barmann Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Benet Hill Monastery of Colorado Spring. La Crescenta, CA Colorado Springs, CO Sr. Marjory Ann Baez Sr. Jeanne Barnard Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul Sister of St. Joseph Daly City, CA Baltimore, MD Sr. Patricia Bagley Rabbi Benjamin Barnett Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Havurah Shalom Mary Portland, OR Lakeland, FL Mr. Kevin G. Barrett Rabbi Justus Baird Society of St. Vincent de Paul Auburn Seminary Louisville, KY Princeton, NJ Rev.
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