Merkley: GOP tax plan ‘Art of the Steal’

Senator Jeff Merkley gave an impassioned speech Tuesday against what he called the GOP tax scheme “as Senate Republicans pushed their plan through committee on a hasty, party-line vote,” the senator’s office said.

“This bill is not a bill about helping the middle class,” Merkley said. “It’s about one simple thing: How to raid the Federal Treasury; how to engage in a massive bank heist to help the very richest Americans.”

“This is not The Art of the Deal, this is The Art of the Steal — stealing our funds, our American funds, to enrich the already richest,” Merkley continued. “It is the product of a vast cycle of corruption, corruption enabled by Citizens United , resulting in vast funds flowing through our election system to elect individuals selected by millionaires and billionaires. Passing this bill raids the national Treasury to deliver millions to the billionaires.”

Despite the fact that the tax plan would reshape virtually the entire American economy and raise taxes on millions of middle class Americans, Merkley said Senate Republicans appear determined to drastically limit hearings and debate and push the bill through the Senate floor this week.

“This corruption has to end,” Merkley said. “This is a nation constitutionally laid out with the mission of We the People — not We the Powerful; not We the Privileged; but We the People. This bill will be seen historically as the ultimate example of the corruption that we’re currently living in. We should defeat this bill. America should rise up and make sure this bill dies.”

Video of Merkley’s remarks is available here.