Good morning! In case you spent the weekend checked out of #GOPTaxScam news, here’s an update. TL; DR: we can STILL win. The #CorkerKickback is a thing. Corker, Collins, and Flake are key. 1/
#CorkerKickback: turns out a new loophole was added for pass-through income *during the conference committee.* It specifically benefits real estate LLCs, and would personally enrich Bob Corker and Donald Trump. ibtimes.com/political-capi… 2/
Remember, @SenBobCorker said after conference he’ll flip his vote from no to yes. What does he say about #CorkerKickback? Only read “like a 2-page summary,” not the bill, so he didn’t know about it. But Cornyn said it was added to cobble together votes. ibtimes.com/political-capi… 3/
Note that @SenBobCorker is estimated to have about $8 million in this type of income. So from this provision alone, he’d give himself an enormous tax break. (Also note, this is a new loophole INSIDE a bigger loophole, the deduction for pass through income itself.) 4/
So now that @SenBobCorker is feeling the #CorkerKickback heat, he essentially wrote @senorrinhatch a letter asking Hatch to absolve him of involvement in this scandal. He wants Hatch to blame the House for putting it in. 5/
I truly think @SenBobCorker’s vote rides on Hatch’s response to this letter. It’s possible (likely?) Hatch backs him up and Corker can say “see? I didn’t know about it!” (So many problems there, starting with Corker should have, you know, read the bill.) 6/
To my memory, it’s pretty rare for a Senator to ask a conference committee member for a public explanation of how something ended up in a conference report. Rs made it secret for a reason. Underscores the level of heat Corker is feeling on this. 7/
The only way for @SenBobCorker to save face over the #CorkerKickback is to vote no on the final bill. You don’t want us to think you tried to line your own pockets with a last minute deal traded for your vote? Fine. Don’t vote for it. 8/
Other development over the weekend that could affect the tax bill: Senator McCain returned home to Arizona. 9/
With McCain out, the best Rs can do is 51-48. If Corker does the right thing to reject the #CorkerKickback, that puts them at 50-49. That means Corker, @SenatorCollins, and @JeffFlake continue to be key targets. 10/
Indivisibles in Maine and Arizona have been crushing it the last few weeks to keep the heat at 500° on both of these Senators. And we’re not slowing down. @Indivisible_MDI has an event in Bangor at 3:30p today: 11/
Remember, Susan Collins has demands going totally unmet. Don’t let her move the goal posts. She said to vote yes, she wanted passage of Alexander-Murray. It’s not happening. 12/ washingtonpost.com/business/econo…
If these Senators are yours, then call them NOW and say VOTE NO on the tax bill.
Corker: 202-224-3344
Collins: 202-224-2523
Flake: 202-224-4521
13/
Corker: 202-224-3344
Collins: 202-224-2523
Flake: 202-224-4521
13/
Don’t live in TN, ME, AZ? No problem! Use our blue state call tool to call fellow progressives in those states, and get THEM to call their Senators! trumptaxscam.org/calls-to-kill-… 14/
Look, this isn’t over til it’s over. 13 million more people uninsured. 83 million fams w a tax INCREASE. $1.4 trillion added to deficit, forcing cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, SS. Drilling in Arctic. MoCs enriching themselves at our expense.
Let’s give this all we’ve got. 15/15
Let’s give this all we’ve got. 15/15
PS - if you have any Republican Senator, no matter who they are, call them and tell them #NoJonesNoVote. Alabama voters have spoken. Republicans are doing nothing short of subverting democracy by holding this vote before Jones is seated. /end
Last thought, because I saw Star Wars this weekend. And because there is still hope.
