Senate Moves Forward on Tax Reform – ANCOR Opposes Current Bills

President Trump will be on Capitol Hill meeting with Senate Republicans on Tuesday in advance of an anticipated vote this week on the Senate tax reform bill. It has also been announced that the President will be meeting with the Senate Finance Committee on Monday regarding tax reform efforts as well.

As ANCOR reported, the House passed their version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1) earlier this month and are waiting for the Senate version to pass this week in the hopes of conferencing a joint bill that will make its way to the President’s desk for signature  before the end of the year. ANCOR’s Congressional Hill contacts have informed us that we should expect debate on the Senate Tax Cuts and Jobs Act bill this Wednesday and an amendments process to bill legislation beginning Thursday and going through the rest of the week into a vote. 

ANCOR currently opposes the House and Senate bills because of their impacts on several key issues to disability service providers including changes to the charitable tax deduction, impacts on state and local taxes that some states rely on for I/DD funding, removal of the medical expense tax deduction in the House bill, and the high potential of the tax bill deficit to be paid for from cuts to Medicaid I/DD programs. You can read more and access ANCOR’s action alert here. In addition, ANCOR’s coalition partners in the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) are urging all those with a stake in I/DD issues to call their Senators this week through the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to speak up for Medicaid. You will find talking points you can use in your phone calls in the action alert linked to above.

It is important for ANCOR members to note as well that the Administration has indicated that following tax reform efforts, welfare reform could be the next topic addressed.