A right-wing advocacy group based by the billionaire Koch brothers introduced Monday the launch of a $20 million marketing campaign to advertise an extension of the 2017 Trump-GOP tax cuts, which disproportionately benefited the wealthy and enormous companies.
However in a 60-second advert that debuted over the weekend, Individuals for Prosperity (AFP) characterizes the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as a boon to “hardworking Individuals” and small companies—and warns that permitting provisions of the legislation to run out on the finish of this yr as scheduled could be disastrous for the working class.
“This yr, Congress is dealing with a countdown to a disaster that threatens household budgets nationwide,” Ross Connolly, AFP’s regional state director, mentioned in a press release Monday. “We’re proud to companion with the incoming Trump administration to guard prosperity and be certain that Congress acts.”
AFP is a 501(c)(4) group that describes itself as a “grassroots” motion regardless of being launched by Charles Koch and his late brother, David—two of essentially the most infamous right-wing billionaire in U.S. politics.
The group mentioned its new 50-state marketing campaign represents “the most important effort by a conservative group” to help President-elect Donald Trump’s legislative agenda as he prepares to take workplace subsequent week. The marketing campaign, in line with AFP, will embody “over 1,000 conferences” at congressional places of work, “in-district occasions” with activists and lawmakers, and “roundtables with job creators.”
The marketing campaign goals to “attain tens of millions of voters on the cellphone and at their doorsteps,” AFP mentioned.
“The Trump tax giveaways handed in 2017 didn’t assist working-class Individuals. Actually, the highest 1% of companies obtained nearly the entire advantages.”
AFP’s description of the impacts of the 2017 tax legislation flies within the face of resounding proof displaying that rich Individuals—not bizarre employees—had been the chief beneficiaries and are poised to reap a lot of the rewards as soon as once more if Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress lengthen the measure’s soon-to-expire provisions.
“Individuals for Prosperity is spending $20 million on a brand new advert marketing campaign that champions the 2017 Trump tax legislation as a win for working households,” Morris Pearl, chair of the Patriotic Millionaires, informed Widespread Desires. “However do not be fooled: What this Koch-backed group is actually solely after is defending tax cuts for rich folks like me.”
“I am in favor of tax aid for working folks, however not one more large and pointless windfall for America’s wealthy,” Pearl added. “If Congress needs to assist working households, they need to make tax charges on labor earnings the identical as tax charges on earnings made by buyers.”
AFP is one in all plenty of right-wing, corporate-tied organizations pushing for an extension of the Trump tax cuts, which Republicans are planning to fund by slashing Medicaid, federal vitamin help, and different key packages.
The progressive watchdog group Accountable.US famous in a current evaluation that one of many teams pushing for an extension of the 2017 legislation is Advancing American Freedom, a corporation “run by company consultants, lobbyists, legal professionals, and executives, together with former Trump administration officers who had been instantly liable for the TCJA.”
Accountable additionally observes that Membership for Development, a gaggle funded by rich conservatives, “has pushed a deeper company tax minimize plan as an ‘opening salvo’ within the present tax debate.”
“The billionaire funders of the group’s motion arm have benefited enormously from the TCJA, saving a whole bunch of tens of millions of {dollars} from a single obscure tax break for pass-through entities,” the watchdog added.
In response to AFP’s new nationwide marketing campaign, Accountable.US govt director Tony Carrk informed Widespread Desires that “a glitzy advert marketing campaign from a far-right group will not change the truth that the Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress are paying for giveaways to billionaires, rich tax cheats, and price-gouging companies by slicing crucial companies for working households, like Medicaid and SNAP.”
“The Trump tax giveaways handed in 2017 didn’t assist working-class Individuals,” mentioned Carrk. “Actually, the highest 1% of companies obtained nearly the entire advantages.”
Watch the advert beneath:
– YouTubewww.youtube.com
