National Call-In Day #3: Last Chance to Stop the #TaxOnDisability

UPDATE – December 19, 2017

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act this afternoon (around 1:30pm Eastern Time). After that vote is completed, the Senate will engage in 10 hours of debate on the bill before voting late tonight.

This is an accelerated schedule from what we initially expected. Please call your Senators and Representatives NOW to STOP the #TaxOnDisability!

 

December 17, 2017

As the saying goes, “the third time is the charm!” Please join us for one more National Call-In Day to oppose the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and stop the #TaxOnDisability. The House and Senate are expected to vote on the final bill, just released by the conference committees on Friday, in the next couple days. The Senate is expected to vote on Monday 12/18 or Tuesday 12/19, while the House of Representatives is expected to vote on Tuesday 12/19.

 

National Call-In Day: No Tax on Disability!

December 18, 2017

Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 (voice) or 202-224-3091 (TTY)

Join people with disabilities, our families, and advocates around the country this Monday, December 18, for another national call-in day to oppose the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

 

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is very close to reaching President Trump’s desk and becoming law. NOW is the time to call your Representative and tell them to OPPOSE this dangerous bill!

 

 

 

Key disability-related provisions of the final Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:

  • Individual Mandate under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is repealed
    “Elimination of Shared Responsibility Payment for Individuals Failing to Maintain Minimal Essential Coverage. The conference agreement follows the Senate amendment.” (p 153)
  • Disabled Access Credit is kept
    “Repeal of credit for expenditures to provide access to disabled individuals. … The conference agreement does not follow the House bill provision.” (p 290)
  • Work Opportunity Tax Credit is kept
    “Repeal of work opportunity tax credit. … The conference agreement does not follow the House bill provision.” (p 285)
  • Orphan Drug credit is reduced to 25%
    “Repeal of credit for clinical testing expenses for certain drugs for rare diseases or conditions. … The conference agreement follows the Senate amendment, but reduces the credit rate to 25 percent of qualified clinical testing expenses.” (p 282)
  • Expands the Medical Expense Deduction
    “Provides relief for Americans with expensive medical bills by expanding the medical expense deduction for 2017 and 2018 for medical expenses exceeding 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income, and rising to 10 percent beginning in 2019.” (Tax Cuts & Jobs Act Policy Highlights)

Despite changes to the final bill and some provisions that could benefit people with disabilities, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is, ultimately, detrimental to the well-being of people with disabilities. This legislation repeals the Affordable Care Act’s Individual Mandate, which, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), will “increase the number of uninsured people by 4 million in 2019 and 13 million in 2027.”

Furthermore, while the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act does not include direct cuts to Medicaid or other disability services, these cuts are expected to follow to offset the roughly $1.5 trillion added to the deficit due to providing large tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. Medicaid and other disability services were the target of intense cuts over the summer through the various Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal bills proposed in the House and Senate. There is no doubt that these same services remain on the chopping block to help pay for the proposed tax cuts.

 

 

Additional Resources

Action Alert! Last Chance to Stop the Dangerous Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

[UPDATE – December 6, 2017]

Below are the latest developments on the status of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, shared by the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD).

Conference Committee:

  • Republicans: The office of House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin said he had named the following Representatives as conferees: Kevin Brady of Texas, Devin Nunes of California, Peter Roskam of Illinois, Diane Black of Tennessee, Kristi Noem of South Dakota, Rob Bishop of Utah, Don Young of Alaska, Greg Walden of Oregon, and John Shimkus of Illinois.
  • Democrats: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California announced the following as conferees: Richard Neal of Massachusetts, Sander Levin of Michigan, Lloyd Doggett of Texas, Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, and Kathy Castor of Florida.

Timeline:

  • A final package could be agreed upon and voted on by this Friday (12/8). However, this timeline may be difficult to meet given that lawmakers’ attention is divided – they must also reach a deal to keep the government open by this Friday.
  • The final agreement and then an up and down vote of the House and Senate seems more likely to happen next week on Tuesday (12/12) or Wednesday (12/13).

Since timing is uncertain, NOW is the time to engage your Representatives and urge them to reject the final bill through calls, emails, tweets, earned media events, op eds, and visits.

 

December 4, 2017

Early Saturday morning (around 2am Eastern Time), the Senate passed their version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This vote in the middle of the night left little to no time for other Members of Congress and the general public to review the content of the bill. Since the House of Representatives passed their version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) in mid-November, the House and Senate must now reconcile their versions of the bill. This is expected to happen in Conference Committee starting today. It is also possible that the House will pass the Senate’s version of the bill as is.

Either way, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is very close to reaching President Trump’s desk and becoming law. NOW is the time to call your Representative and tell them to OPPOSE this dangerous bill!

 

The Senate tax bill is extremely dangerous to the well-being of people with disabilities.

  • Tax cuts open the door for cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, Supplemental Security Income, and other services that benefit people with disabilities. While neither the House nor Senate tax bill includes direct cuts to these services, cuts are expected to follow to offset the $1.5 trillion added to the deficit due to providing large tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. Medicaid and other disability services were the target of intense cuts over the summer through the various Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal bills proposed in the House and Senate. There is no doubt that these same services remain on the chopping block to help pay for the proposed tax cuts.
  • The Senate bill eliminates the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual mandate. The individual mandate helps make health insurance affordable. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that 13 million people would lose access to affordable coverage by 2027 if the individual mandate were eliminated. Furthermore, insurance premiums would rise by 10%, which amounts to an increase of hundreds of dollars per year for nearly 7 million middle-income Americans and by over $1,000 per year for seniors, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).
  • The Senate bill benefits the wealthiest Americans while the poorest would be worse off. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report which found that Americans earning less than $100,000 a year would, ultimately, not benefit from the proposed tax cuts. According to a Washington Post analysis of the CBO report, “By 2019, Americans earning less than $30,000 a year would be worse off under the Senate bill, CBO found. By 2021, Americans earning $40,000 or less would be net losers, and by 2027, most people earning less than $75,000 a year would be worse off. On the flip side, millionaires and those earning $100,000 to $500,000 would be big beneficiaries, according to the CBO’s calculations.”

 

The House bill is also damaging as it proposes to eliminate several tax deductions and credits that benefit people with disabilities. These include:

  • The Medical Expense Deduction: This tax deduction allows people to deduct large, unreimbursed medical and dental expenses that exceed 10% of their income. Approximately 8.8 million people utilize this deduction, 70% of which have an income at $70,000 or lower. Most filings are around $10,000 by people with high healthcare costs, which largely includes people with disabilities, chronic health conditions, and other medical conditions. People are allowed to deduct expenses for a variety of expenses including treatments, surgeries, medications, and medical travel.
  • The Disabled Access Credit and Barrier Removal Tax Deduction: Businesses that accommodate people with disabilities may qualify for tax credits and deductions including the Disabled Access Credit and the Barrier Removal Tax Deduction. This credit and deduction incentivizes small businesses to make their businesses accessible for disabled people. Small businesses can claim a 50% credit per year for expenditures between $250 and $10,250 that increase access and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
  • The Work Opportunity Tax Credit: This federal tax credit is available to employers for hiring individuals from certain target groups (including disabled people who receive services from Vocational Rehabilitation, SSI recipients, returning citizens, veterans, and long-term unemployment compensation recipients) who have consistently faced significant barriers to employment. The current tax credit for hiring a person with a disability can be as high as $2,400 for a business.

 

The final version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act could contain any of these harmful provisions from the Senate and House bills.

While neither tax bill includes direct cuts to Medicaid or other disability services, these cuts are expected to follow to offset the roughly $1.5 trillion added to the deficit due to providing large tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. Medicaid and other disability services were the target of intense cuts over the summer through the various Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal bills proposed in the House and Senate. There is no doubt that these same services remain on the chopping block to help pay for the proposed tax cuts.

 

 

Take Action

Contact your Representative and tell them to oppose this bill!

 

What to say:

  • Please vote NO on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
  • This tax bill will hurt people with disabilities and their families.
  • Tax reform should not be rushed. People should have time to understand the legislation and how they will be affected.
  • Services that benefit people with disabilities and low-income Americans – such as Medicaid, Medicare, and Supplemental Security Income – are in danger of losing funding to help pay for these proposed tax cuts.
  • Eliminating the individual mandate will reduce access and increase costs for people with disabilities and all Americans.

 

Call your Representative

Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or (202) 224-3091 (TTY) and ask to be connected to your Representative.

 

Email your Representative

Contacting Congress provides unique links to email your Representative directly.

 

Tweet your Representative

Twitter has become a powerful tool to communicate with elected officials directly. Find your Congress Members on Twitter and tell them to oppose these bills.

 

Sample Tweets to Fights Against Disability Attacks in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) (developed by Access Living)

  • 8.8 million households claimed medical deductions in 2015. Eliminating deduction vital to people with high medical costs is a #TaxOnDisability.
  • Taking away medical deductions from seniors with greater medical needs, people with disabilities, and families with disabled kids is a #TaxOnDisability.
  • Average deduction claimed is close to $10K; cost of long-term care could be $100K or more. Keep deduction, no to #TaxOnDisability
  • #TCJA eliminates incentive for businesses to hire people with disabilities, including older Americans with disabilities. No to #TaxOnDisability
  • Current tax credit for hiring a person with a disability can be as high as $2,400; ending the Work Opportunity Tax Credit is a #TaxOnDisability
  • Eliminating orphan drug tax credit is a #TaxOnDisability. Older Americans and people with disabilities are more likely to have a rare disease or condition #TCJA
  • Eliminating small business tax credit for increasing accessibility to employees with disabilities, older workers, and customers is a #TaxOnDisability
  • The #TCJA may result in older Americans and individuals with disabilities paying more taxes on Social Security benefits.
  • If seniors and individuals with disabilities can’t deduct medical expenses, many may need to use tax-deferred accounts. No to #TaxOnDisability
  • #TCJA could kill investments in underserved communities that provide people with disabilities a place to live. No to #TaxOnDisability
  • Eliminating deduction of state/local income, sales taxes from federal taxable income would squeeze state budgets No to #TaxOnDisability
  • #TCJA could force massive cuts that block grant #Medicaid and damage state programs for people with disabilities. No to #TaxOnDisability

 

 

 

Additional Resources

 

Action Alert! Vote Likely this Week – Urge your Senators to Oppose the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

November 27, 2017

The US Senate is expected to vote this week on their version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This legislation is a bad deal for people with disabilities – contact your senators and tell them to oppose this bill!

National Call-In Day: No Tax on Disability!
November 29, 2017

Join people with disabilities, our families, and advocates around the country this Wednesday, November 29, for a national call-in day to oppose the Senate’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

 

The House of Representatives passed their version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) along partisan lines before the Thanksgiving holiday. If the Senate bill also passes, a conference committee may need to work out the differences between the two bills, which means provisions from either bill could end up in the final version (read AAPD’s Action Alert about the House bill).

The Senate tax bill is extremely dangerous to the well-being of people with disabilities.

  • Tax cuts open the door for cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, Supplemental Security Income, and other services that benefit people with disabilities. While neither the House nor Senate tax bill includes direct cuts to these services, cuts are expected to follow to offset the $1.5 trillion added to the deficit due to providing large tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. Medicaid and other disability services were the target of intense cuts over the summer through the various Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal bills proposed in the House and Senate. There is no doubt that these same services remain on the chopping block to help pay for the proposed tax cuts.
  • The Senate bill eliminates the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual mandate. The individual mandate helps make health insurance affordable. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that 13 million people would lose access to affordable coverage by 2027 if the individual mandate were eliminated. Furthermore, insurance premiums would rise by 10%, which amounts to an increase of hundreds of dollars per year for nearly 7 million middle-income Americans and by over $1,000 per year for seniors, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).
  • The Senate bill benefits the wealthiest Americans while the poorest would be worse off. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report this past Sunday, which found that Americans earning less than $100,000 a year would, ultimately, not benefit from the proposed tax cuts. According to a Washington Post analysis of the CBO report, “By 2019, Americans earning less than $30,000 a year would be worse off under the Senate bill, CBO found. By 2021, Americans earning $40,000 or less would be net losers, and by 2027, most people earning less than $75,000 a year would be worse off. On the flip side, millionaires and those earning $100,000 to $500,000 would be big beneficiaries, according to the CBO’s calculations.”

 

The Senate is scheduled to vote on its version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act this week – We must stop this very harmful and unpopular legislation NOW!

 

Take Action

Contact your Senators and tell them to oppose the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act!

What to say:

  • Please vote NO on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
  • This tax bill will hurt people with disabilities and their families.
  • Tax reform should not be rushed. People should have time to understand the legislation and how they will be affected.
  • Services that benefit people with disabilities and low-income Americans – such as Medicaid, Medicare, and Supplemental Security Income – are in danger of losing funding to help pay for these proposed tax cuts.
  • Eliminating the individual mandate will reduce access and increase costs for people with disabilities and all Americans.

 

Call your Senators

Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or (202) 224-3091 (TTY) and ask to be connected to your Senator.

 

National Call-In Day: No Tax on Disability!
November 29, 2017

Join people with disabilities, our families, and advocates around the country this Wednesday, November 29, for a national call-in day to oppose the Senate’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

 

Meet with your Senators

You can arrange a meeting in Washington, DC or in your home state, depending on when Congress is in session. Contacting Congress allows you to request a meeting with your Member of Congress. You can also check the Town Hall Project for congressional events in your area.

 

Email your Senators

Contacting Congress provides unique links to email your Senators directly.

 

Tweet your Senators

Twitter has become a powerful tool to communicate with elected officials directly. Find your Senators on Twitter and tell them to oppose these bills.

 

Additional Resources

Action Alert! Urge Your Senators to Vote NO on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

November 17, 2017

Yesterday, on November 16, the House of Representatives passed its version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1). Now, the Senate is finalizing their own version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The legislation was recently voted through the Senate Finance Committee, clearing the way for a vote on the Senate floor after Thanksgiving.

These tax bills are extremely dangerous to the well-being of people with disabilities.

  • Tax cuts open the door for cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, Supplemental Security Income, and other services that benefit people with disabilities. While neither the House or Senate tax bill includes direct cuts to these services, cuts are expected to follow to offset the $1.5 trillion added to the deficit due to providing large tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. Medicaid and other disability services were the target of intense cuts over the summer through the various Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal bills proposed in the House and Senate. There is no doubt that these same services remain on the chopping block to help pay for the proposed tax cuts.
  • The Senate bill eliminates the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual mandate. The individual mandate helps make health insurance affordable. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that 13 million people would lose access to affordable coverage if the individual mandate were eliminated. Furthermore, insurance premiums would rise by 10%, which amounts to an increase of hundreds of dollars per year for nearly 7 million middle-income Americans and by over $1,000 per year for seniors, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).

The Senate is scheduled to vote on its Tax Cuts and Jobs Act the week after Thanksgiving.

 

We must stop this very harmful and unpopular legislation NOW!

 

Take Action

Contact your Senators and tell them to oppose the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act!

 

What to say:

  • Please vote NO on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
  • Tax reform should not be rushed. People should have time to understand the legislation and how they will be affected.
  • Services that benefit people with disabilities and low-income Americans – such as Medicaid, Medicare, and Supplemental Security Income – are in danger of losing funding to help pay for these proposed tax cuts.
  • Eliminating the individual mandate will reduce access and increase costs for people with disabilities and all Americans.

 

Call your Senators

Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or (202) 224-3091 (TTY) and ask to be connected to your Senator.

 

Meet with your Senators

You can arrange a meeting in Washington, DC or in your home state, depending on when Congress is in session. The Senate is planning to vote on their version of the tax bill after Thanksgiving. This provides an opportunity to meet with your Senators while they are in your home state over the holiday. Contacting Congress allows you to request a meeting with your Member of Congress. You can also check the Town Hall Project for congressional events in your area.

 

Email your Senators

Contacting Congress provides unique links to email your Senators directly.

 

Tweet your Senators

Twitter has become a powerful tool to communicate with elected officials directly. Find your Senators on Twitter and tell them to oppose these bills.

  • Senate Twitter Handles
  • The #TaxCutsAndJobsAct could force massive cuts that block grant #Medicaid and damage state programs for people with disabilities. No to #TCJA. #TaxOnDisability

 

 

Additional Resources

 

 

Action Alert! Don’t Let Congress Trade Tax Cuts for Medicaid and Other Essential Services

November 14, 2017

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) this Thursday (11/16/2017). The Senate has begun markup on their version of the bill, also titled the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, this week and is expected to hold a floor vote the week after Thanksgiving.

Both bills would add $1.5 trillion to the federal deficit and are skewed to benefit the most wealthy Americans. If passed, this legislation presents a dangerous scenario that could lead to future funding cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and other supports and services that people with disabilities rely on to live independently in the community. Our elected officials in the House of Representatives and Senate need to hear from the disability community about our concerns with this tax cut plan.

The Senate tax bill now includes language to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual mandate. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that repealing the individual mandate “would result in 4 million people losing their health insurance in the first year and 13 million in a decade.”

The House bill is also damaging as it proposes to eliminate several tax deductions and credits that benefit people with disabilities. These include:

  • The Medical Expense Deduction: This tax deduction allows people to deduct large, unreimbursed medical and dental expenses that exceed 10% of their income. Approximately 8.8 million people utilize this deduction, 70% of which have an income at $70,000 or lower. Most filings are around $10,000 by people with high healthcare costs, which largely includes people with disabilities, chronic health conditions, and other medical conditions. People are allowed to deduct expenses for a variety of expenses including treatments, surgeries, medications, and medical travel.
  • The Disabled Access Credit and Barrier Removal Tax Deduction: Businesses that accommodate people with disabilities may qualify for tax credits and deductions including the Disabled Access Credit and the Barrier Removal Tax Deduction. This credit and deduction incentivizes small businesses to make their businesses accessible for disabled people. Small businesses can claim a 50% credit per year for expenditures between $250 and $10,250 that increase access and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
  • The Work Opportunity Tax Credit: This federal tax credit is available to employers for hiring individuals from certain target groups (including disabled people who receive services from Vocational Rehabilitation, SSI recipients, returning citizens, veterans, and long-term unemployment compensation recipients) who have consistently faced significant barriers to employment. The current tax credit for hiring a person with a disability can be as high as $2,400 for a business.

At present time, these deductions and credits are not eliminated in the Senate bill.

While neither tax bill includes direct cuts to Medicaid or other disability services, these cuts are expected to follow to offset the $1.5 trillion added to the deficit due to providing large tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. Medicaid and other disability services were the target of intense cuts over the summer through the various Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal bills proposed in the House and Senate. There is no doubt that these same services remain on the chopping block to help pay for the proposed tax cuts.

 

Take Action

Contact your Representative and tell them to oppose this bill!

 

Call your Congress Members

Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or (202) 224-3091 (TTY) and ask to be connected to your Representative.

 

Meet with your Congress Members

You can arrange a meeting in Washington, DC or in your home state, depending on when Congress is in session. Contacting Congress allows you to request a meeting with your Member of Congress. You can also check the Town Hall Project for congressional events in your area. The Senate is planning to vote on their version of the tax bill after Thanksgiving. This provides an opportunity to meet with your Senators while they are in your home state over the holiday.

 

Email your Congress Members

Contacting Congress provides unique links to email your Representative directly.

 

Tweet your Congress Members

Twitter has become a powerful tool to communicate with elected officials directly. Find your Congress Members on Twitter and tell them to oppose these bills.

 

Sample Tweets to Fights Against Disability Attacks in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) (developed by Access Living)

  • 8.8 million households claimed medical deductions in 2015. Eliminating deduction vital to people with high medical costs is a #TaxOnDisability.
  • Taking away medical deductions from seniors with greater medical needs, people with disabilities, and families with disabled kids is a #TaxOnDisability.
  • Average deduction claimed is close to $10K; cost of long-term care could be $100K or more. Keep deduction, no to #TaxOnDisability
  • #TCJA eliminates incentive for businesses to hire people with disabilities, including older Americans with disabilities. No to #TaxOnDisability
  • Current tax credit for hiring a person with a disability can be as high as $2,400; ending the Work Opportunity Tax Credit is a #TaxOnDisability
  • Eliminating orphan drug tax credit is a #TaxOnDisability. Older Americans and people with disabilities are more likely to have a rare disease or condition #TCJA
  • Eliminating small business tax credit for increasing accessibility to employees with disabilities, older workers, and customers is a #TaxOnDisability
  • The #TCJA may result in older Americans and individuals with disabilities paying more taxes on Social Security benefits.
  • If seniors and individuals with disabilities can’t deduct medical expenses, many may need to use tax-deferred accounts. No to #TaxOnDisability
  • #TCJA could kill investments in underserved communities that provide people with disabilities a place to live. No to #TaxOnDisability
  • Eliminating deduction of state/local income, sales taxes from federal taxable income would squeeze state budgets No to #TaxOnDisability
  • #TCJA could force massive cuts that block grant #Medicaid and damage state programs for people with disabilities. No to #TaxOnDisability

 

Additional Resources

 

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