AFT’s Weingarten Condemns Trump’s Tax Plan

WASHINGTON—Statement by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on President Trump’s tax proposal:

“This is a tax plan for Wall Street, not Main Street. While doubling the standard deduction and keeping the mortgage interest deduction are good steps, the relief to working families in this proposal pales in comparison to how it helps the rich get richer. 

“President Trump is taking a page from past Republican presidents who promised that the economic benefits of showering the wealthy with big tax breaks would trickle down to the rest of us. It didn’t work then, and it won’t work now. Instead of focusing on real job creation strategies like rebuilding our infrastructure, the guy who ran as a job creator is relying on a failed corporate tax cut strategy that has never resulted in long-term or ‘massive’ job creation. What it does create is a massive hole in the budget that threatens the safety net programs working families rely on. 

“The American people have a right to know how Trump and his enterprises would benefit from this proposal, which is why he needs to release his tax returns before any new tax plan is considered.”