WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congresswoman Laura Gillen (NY-04) released the following statement after the House passed the GOP tax bill:
“The GOP tax bill, passed along party lines without any bipartisan input, will devastate Long Island. With today’s vote, the Majority chose to advance the largest cut to our health care system in American history. Gutting Medicaid will force 17 million Americans, including 1.5 million children, seniors, and veterans across New York, off of their health care. Additionally, nonpartisan experts warn that the ripple effects caused by this bill will destabilize our entire medical system: nursing homes will close, providers will be forced to cut services and costs will rise for everyone, even those with private insurance.
“This bill would also cut food assistance for our most vulnerable while saddling Nassau County with an additional $12.9 million in federally-mandated administrative costs, putting another tax burden on Long Islanders already facing a cost-of-living crisis.
“This legislation also fails to repeal the restrictive SALT cap, which has forced my constituents to pay tens of thousands of dollars in unfair double taxation. For years, Republicans promised to end this unfair cap. Instead, earlier this week, they blocked my amendment to fully repeal the cap and cut taxes for Long Island. Today, they doubled down by voting to extend the cap that is crushing families’ bottom lines.
“There is nothing beautiful about this bill. I voted no.” This bill will have significant impacts for Long Island: - 1.5 million New Yorkers could lose full or partial health care coverage.
- NY-04 could lose $393,628,000 in economic activity as health care providers downsize operations and curtail services.
- 28,000 children, seniors and veterans across NY-04 who count on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are now at risk of going hungry.
- Nassau County will be hit with $12.9 million in new federally-mandated costs to administer SNAP.
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