While Republicans Want to Raise Taxes on Low- and Middle-Income Americans, Democrats Work to Lower Costs.

 Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, recently released an 11-point plan to “rescue America,“ containing specific actions Republicans will take if they control our government again. Central to the plan is hiking taxes on more than 100 million of the poorest Americans, including this: “All Americans should pay some income tax to have skin in the game, even if a small amount. Currently over half of Americans pay no income tax.”

The Tax Policy Center estimates that implementing Scott’s goal could increase federal income taxes by more than $100 billion in 2022 alone, mostly on low- and middle-income Americans.

That’s not all. Under Scott’s plan, all “federal legislation sunsets in 5 years.” Does that mean the end of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA)? Probably, if Republicans are in charge. Sick, elderly, have a pre-existing condition? You’re out of luck.

Poor people will have to fend for themselves. “No government assistance unless you are disabled or aggressively seeking work,” Scott declares, hanging the poor and retirees out to dry.

Also, the national and global economy will be destroyed: “Prohibit debt ceiling increases absent a declaration of war.” And Scott plans to privatize most government functions: “Other than essential core functions, government should not be doing anything that the private sector can do better and cheaper.” He wants the IRS to be halved, both in funding and in staff. All to create more opportunities for corruption and billionaires becoming even more morbidly wealthy.

Not surprisingly, Scott takes aim at public education. The Department of Education will be abolished and tenure for teachers will be eliminated. “Parents, not government, will choose the best schools for their kids.” “If Congress wants to spend money on education, they can cut out the middleman and send it directly to schools and parents.”  That opens the door to public funding of private and, preferably for Congressional Republicans, segregated religious schools.

Scott’s plan is an amalgam of standard Republican economic policies – lower taxes for billionaires, massively shrink the federal government, cut all government assistance programs – and red meat MAGA culture warrior propaganda fueled by conspiracy theories.  Declaring all Democrats “socialists,” Scott plans to treat socialists as “a foreign combatant which aims to destroy our prosperity and freedom” – this sounds like a threat to imprison Americans exercising First Amendment rights to express their political beliefs. But “Americans are afraid to speak their minds for fear of being silenced and canceled by the woke elitists.” “Our kids are taught to hate America and divide each other by skin color.” “The fanatical left seeks to devalue and redefine the traditional family.” We will “finish building the wall, and name it after President Donald Trump.”

Scott isn’t alone in his beyond radical vision of a dehumanized, fearful and dystopic America. It’s been embraced by the Republican National Committee (RNC). And Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) (who admitted that he personally benefited from the 2017 Republican tax cuts) agrees with most of Scott’s plan and wants to repeal the ACA if Republicans win the presidency and Congressional majorities in 2024. That would result in raising healthcare premiums for millions and eliminating coverage protections for pre-existing conditions. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) also says he’d back cutting retirement benefits for younger workers who have already paid into the system. This is nothing new for Republicans, who have repeatedly floated cuts to Medicare and Social Security.

While working to dismantle the social safety net and make low-income, sick and elderly people fend for themselves, Republicans have repeatedly voted against legislation to lower costs for Americans.  

In recent weeks, Congressional Republicans have voted against bills that would lower the cost of insulin, which many diabetics need to survive, and help as many as 9,775 New York restaurants and businesses that didn’t receive the first round of Restaurant Revitalization Fund relief cover costs.

On the other hand, House Democrats overwhelmingly voted in favor of bills to cap the monthly cost of insulin at $35 and get much needed relief to local businesses. And President Biden has proposed a plan to increase taxes on billionaires, not working families and seniors.