WASHINGTON— After the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S.
Senate passed The Tax Reform and Jobs Act,
Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, chairman of the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, drew
attention to unacceptable problems that remain, and called on President Trump
to insist that Congress fix them before he signs a bill into law.

The full statement follows:

“Today, Congress passed its tax reform legislation, The Tax Reform and Jobs Act, and it has
been sent to the President to consider. The
legislation achieves some laudable things, like doubling the standard deduction,
which will help many struggling families avoid tax liability, expanding the use
of 529 education plans, and increasing the child tax credit.

However, the Act contains a number of problematic
provisions that will have dramatic negative consequences, particularly for
those most in need. Among other things, the
Joint Committee on Taxation indicates that the bill will eventually raise taxes
on those with lower incomes while simultaneously cutting taxes for the wealthy.
This is clearly problematic, especially
for the poor. The repeal of the personal
exemption will cause larger families, including many in the middle class, to be
financially worse off. The final bill creates
a large deficit that, as early as next year, will be used as a basis to cut
programs that help the poor and vulnerable toward stability. The legislation is also likely to produce up
to a $13 billion drop in annual charitable giving to nonprofits that are relied
upon to help those struggling on the margins.
This will also significantly diminish the role of civil society in
promoting the common good.

As the President considers the tax bill before him, we
ask that he take into account the full consequences of its provisions and work
with Congress to remedy them before signing a tax bill into law.”

Bishop Frank J. Dewane’s December 6, 2017, letter
analyzing the Senate and House bills prior to reconciliation can be found at: https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/federal-budget/upload/Tax-Conference-Letter-Congress-2017-12-06.pdf

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Keywords: U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Bishop Frank J. Dewane, Committee on
Domestic Justice and Human Development, tax reform bill, The
Tax Reform and Jobs Act, U.S. Congress, Joint Committee on Taxation,
tax cuts, Standard Deduction, child tax credit, Affordable Care Act (ACA),
charitable giving, tax payers, health care reform, families, poor

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Media Contact:
Judy Keane
202-541-3200

Source:: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops