Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler’s support for “tax reform” is misguided. When the Senate was debating on the night of Dec. 1, I was volunteering at a homeless shelter in Vancouver. What a mind-blowing contrast to be among homeless men watching television coverage of economically well-off members of the Senate debating tax benefits primarily reserved for the most wealthy among us.
There but for the grace of God, go I.
The Senate debated 479 pages of amendments that night, which members could not have possibly read or absorbed. Is this the way democracy should work? These last-minute amendments, among other things, created new private-equity loopholes that, in large part, disproportionately benefit the top 1 percent of the spectrum. Is this right? This complex legislation shouldn’t be rammed through without hearings, with more than $1 trillion being added to the national deficit.
Having worked as deputy counsel for a state legislature, I understand how wealthy contributors can skew the system and unfairly influence policy. This is wrong. What a sad day for the democratic process as envisioned by our founding fathers.
Herrera Beutler should demonstrate her commitment to the democratic process and those most vulnerable among us by reconsidering her support for “tax reform” as currently formulated.
