Latest news with #WaysandMeansCommittee
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion - Only the Senate can stop the largest wealth transfer in US history
Last week, the House Republican majority passed what can only be called their 'Big Billionaire Bill' — a budget reconciliation measure that amounts to one the largest transfers of wealth in American history. This measure literally steals from the poor and the working class to give to the ultra-rich. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, I know firsthand how this bill would take from working people and give to the ultra-wealthy. The consequences will be staggering if it becomes law. Republicans promised tax cuts for all. But under their bill, families making $30,000 or less will actually pay approximately $20 billion more in taxes cumulatively over the next decade, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. That's not even counting the impact of losing Medicaid or the higher cost of living caused by Trump's tariffs. Meanwhile, billionaires will pocket an average tax break of $255,000 a year. I grew up working class, working jobs at Target and Subway. Republicans want to make people like me believe that they're helping while raising taxes on them, cutting Medicaid and SNAP, and then telling them to have more babies. That's insulting. My Republican colleagues moved their second attempt at a House Budget Committee hearing to the dead of night — after a failed first try and following late-night markups in several committees the previous week. Alongside my Democratic colleagues, we spent nearly 30 hours grinding their agenda nearly to a halt, from Wednesday at 1 a.m. to to 11 p.m. in the Rules Committee and on the floor. The fact that they had to move their last hearing before it could move to the floor at 1 a.m. tells me they're ashamed of themselves. And they should be. Working families want billionaires to pay their fair share, not to lose their health care and nutrition programs for their kids. I hear it from Americans at town halls, on social media, and even at the grocery store. Millions across the country could lose Medicaid coverage: 3.4 million in California, 400,000 in North Carolina, 250,000 in Minnesota, 380,000 in Texas, 390,000 in Virginia, and 1.2 million in New York — moms, kids, and seniors who could be left without health care. These are real people in every district, many represented by Republicans who voted for this bill. Nearly half of new moms and their babies in California rely on Medicaid and could lose their care. Seniors who can't get enough coverage through Medicare will lose. Sons and daughters who can't afford their parents' nursing home care will lose. People in rural communities, where hospitals are already closing, will lose too. Republicans claim to be the party of families. But their bill makes it harder for working people to get by — harder to welcome a new child, get postpartum care, or afford basic medical needs. Worse, Republicans will make it harder for millions of families to afford groceries every month thanks to cuts to nutrition assistance programs. When billionaires can get richer at the expense of working families, what does that say about us as a nation? I fear America's promise of hope and opportunity will dim if this administration keeps pushing us to the point where no one sees a future here anymore. But I refuse to accept a future where America's greatness is measured by the size of its tax breaks for billionaires instead of the strength of our working families. I call on the Senate to reject this bill and protect the American Dream for everyone. Jimmy Gomez, a Democrat, represents California's 34th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
09-06-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Only the Senate can stop the largest wealth transfer in US history
Last week, the House Republican majority passed what can only be called their 'Big Billionaire Bill' — a budget reconciliation measure that amounts to one the largest transfers of wealth in American history. This measure literally steals from the poor and the working class to give to the ultra-rich. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, I know firsthand how this bill would take from working people and give to the ultra-wealthy. The consequences will be staggering if it becomes law. Republicans promised tax cuts for all. But under their bill, families making $30,000 or less will actually pay approximately $20 billion more in taxes cumulatively over the next decade, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. That's not even counting the impact of losing Medicaid or the higher cost of living caused by Trump's tariffs. Meanwhile, billionaires will pocket an average tax break of $255,000 a year. I grew up working class, working jobs at Target and Subway. Republicans want to make people like me believe that they're helping while raising taxes on them, cutting Medicaid and SNAP, and then telling them to have more babies. That's insulting. My Republican colleagues moved their second attempt at a House Budget Committee hearing to the dead of night — after a failed first try and following late-night markups in several committees the previous week. Alongside my Democratic colleagues, we spent nearly 30 hours grinding their agenda nearly to a halt, from Wednesday at 1 a.m. to to 11 p.m. in the Rules Committee and on the floor. The fact that they had to move their last hearing before it could move to the floor at 1 a.m. tells me they're ashamed of themselves. And they should be. Working families want billionaires to pay their fair share, not to lose their health care and nutrition programs for their kids. I hear it from Americans at town halls, on social media, and even at the grocery store. Millions across the country could lose Medicaid coverage: 3.4 million in California, 400,000 in North Carolina, 250,000 in Minnesota, 380,000 in Texas, 390,000 in Virginia, and 1.2 million in New York — moms, kids, and seniors who could be left without health care. These are real people in every district, many represented by Republicans who voted for this bill. Nearly half of new moms and their babies in California rely on Medicaid and could lose their care. Seniors who can't get enough coverage through Medicare will lose. Sons and daughters who can't afford their parents' nursing home care will lose. People in rural communities, where hospitals are already closing, will lose too. Republicans claim to be the party of families. But their bill makes it harder for working people to get by — harder to welcome a new child, get postpartum care, or afford basic medical needs. Worse, Republicans will make it harder for millions of families to afford groceries every month thanks to cuts to nutrition assistance programs. When billionaires can get richer at the expense of working families, what does that say about us as a nation? I fear America's promise of hope and opportunity will dim if this administration keeps pushing us to the point where no one sees a future here anymore. But I refuse to accept a future where America's greatness is measured by the size of its tax breaks for billionaires instead of the strength of our working families. I call on the Senate to reject this bill and protect the American Dream for everyone. Jimmy Gomez, a Democrat, represents California's 34th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Exploring a run for governor, Randy Feenstra touts work on Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'
SIOUX CENTER — As he explores a run for governor, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra touted his work on the federal tax and spending policy bill moving through Congress, saying he was a 'key author' of the legislation. 'I was very close to the administration on helping write this bill, not only the tax portion of it, but also the (agricultural) portion of it,' he said at his annual Feenstra Family Picnic in Sioux Center May 30. Feenstra, a Republican, recently voted with other members of his party to advance Republican President Donald Trump's sweeping budget bill. Feenstra sits on the House Agriculture Committee, which oversaw changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, including about $300 billion in spending cuts over the next ten years. He also serves on the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. Iowa's U.S. House Republicans have championed the bill's passage, but it's drawn the ire of Democrats who fear the cuts will harm those who lose access to benefits. "I'll tell you what, we're not going to hurt anybody," Feenstra told reporters. "I mean, what we did with SNAP is making sure that we're getting rid of waste and fraud. Sitting on the Ag Committee, we had a lot of discussions about this, and I want to tell you, anybody that's on SNAP will stay on SNAP unless you're an illegal." Speaking to the crowd, Feenstra aligned himself with Trump, who remains deeply popular among Iowa Republicans, particularly in this deeply conservative pocket of northwest Iowa. 'The bill reflects the mandates that Trump talked about in all of his stump speeches when he was running this campaign,' he said. It comes as Feenstra gears up for an expected gubernatorial run, during which he'll need to appeal to the deep-red voters expected to make up the Republican primary electorate. Feenstra announced May 13 he was forming an exploratory committee to weigh a run for governor, and he has aggressively made moves toward a formal campaign. He announced ahead of the event that his campaign had raised more than $3.2 million. And he recently launched a $400,000 advertising buy across the state, making him the first declared or potential candidate to air television ads. 'Randy is swiftly consolidating support for his exploratory bid for governor,' his campaign senior advisor Brian Dumas said in a statement. '… From President Trump's biggest donors in Iowa, coupled with those that have historically stood behind Governors Reynolds and Branstad, his coalition of support is broad and deep.' But Feenstra avoided talking about the prospect as he spoke to the crowd of supporters. Instead, he focused on his work in Congress and highlighted his commitment to advancing Trump's agenda. Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer introduced Feenstra, praising his 'workhorse' mentality. 'Randy led the fight to ban China from buying American farmland,' she said. 'He stood with President Trump every step of the way to secure our border and stand with our border patrol agents. … And most recently, as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, he helped write President Trump's 'one big, beautiful bill.'' Cournoyer previously announced that she would run for state auditor in 2026, a position currently held by Democrat Rob Sand. 'We've got to get her to win,' Feenstra said. Sand announced May 12 he would mount a gubernatorial bid. Feenstra referenced his potential rival only briefly, saying that Sand is 'going on to other things' and opening up the auditor seat for Cournoyer. Feenstra was joined by U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican who serves as chair of the House Judiciary Committee. Jordan has been a mainstay on the Iowa political speaking circuit, and he joined U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn a day earlier for an event in Des Moines. Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at bpfann@ or 515-284-8244. Follow her on X at @brianneDMR. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Randy Feenstra highlights Trump ties as he explores run for governor
CNBC
27-05-2025
- Politics
- CNBC
Charles Rangel, former longtime N.Y. congressman who represented Harlem, dies at 94
Charles Rangel, the Democratic former congressman from New York who championed his Harlem community on Capitol Hill for almost five decades, died Monday, his family said. He was 94. City College of New York spokesperson Michelle Stent confirmed Rangel's death in a statement, saying he died at a hospital in New York. Politicians and supporters remembered Rangel, known as Charlie, for his years in public service and deep roots in New York City. He was born in Harlem and was first elected to Congress in 1970, representing a congressional district that was first drawn up in the 1940s and allowed the neighborhood's majority Black voters to send one of their own to Washington. Rangel served for so long that he earned the nickname the "Lion of Lenox Avenue," referring to one of Harlem's primary corridors. "Charlie Rangel was a great man, a great friend, and someone who never stopped fighting for his constituents and the best of America," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Monday on X. "The list of his accomplishments could take pages, but he leaves the world a much better place than he found it." New York Mayor Eric Adams said on X that he was "sad to lose a dear friend and exemplary model of devotion and courage." The Rev. Al Sharpton called Rangel a "trailblazing legislator and an unshakable force in American politics." Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo also honored Rangel as his "mentor and friend." "He had that Harlem fire in his heart and a joy in his soul that no battle could extinguish," Cuomo said in a statement, adding that "he never forgot where he came from." Rangel, a veteran of the Korean War, was a high school dropout but eventually went to college on the G.I. Bill, getting degrees from New York University and St. John's University Law School. In 1970, he defeated legendary Harlem politician Adam Clayton Powell to start his congressional career. During the next 40-plus years, he became a legend himself — a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, dean of the New York congressional delegation and, in 2007, the first Black chair of the influential Ways and Means Committee. "I have always been committed to fighting for the little guy," Rangel said in 2012. Two years earlier, he had stepped down from the Ways and Means Committee amid an ethics cloud. The House would later censure him in a 333-79 vote, citing nearly a dozen ethics violations that included breaching a gifts ban, improper use of influence and failure to disclose income. After the censure, Rangel rose before his colleagues in sorrow. "I know in my heart I am not going to be judged by this Congress," he said. "I'll be judged by my life in its entirety." Rangel remained in Congress and won the 2012 primary. His Harlem district overwhelmingly voted him in again as Barack Obama won a second presidential term. Despite the political stain later in his career, his time in Congress was exceedingly busy. According to the City College statement, Rangel sponsored 40 bills and resolutions that became law. His significant legislative accomplishments include championing the national Empowerment Zone program, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and the Affordable Care Act, which Obama signed into law in 2010. Rangel was chairman of the Ways and Means Committee when the Affordable Care Act was being heavily debated in Congress, and he was under pressure from the ethics investigations. In a 2009 interview with Time, he was defiant when he was asked about his legacy. "Well, as Rhett Butler once said in 'Gone With the Wind,' if I'm gone, quite frankly, I don't give a damn," he told the magazine. Rangel served in Congress until 2017, when he retired. He lamented to The New York Times in 2016, when his eventual successor, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, was poised to become the first Dominican American elected to Congress, that he feared that meant his Harlem district would no longer have a Black representative. "Can you tell the people in Boston that some day you won't have an Irish congressman?" Rangel said. Rangel was the last surviving member of the so-called Gang of Four — a group of Black political figures who wielded great power in city and state politics. The others were David Dinkins, New York's first Black mayor; Percy Sutton, who was Manhattan Borough president; and Basil Paterson, a deputy mayor and New York secretary of state. The Congressional Black Caucus said in a statement Monday that its 61 members were mourning the loss of Rangel. "His legacy is one of tireless advocacy, historic firsts, and dedication to justice and equality," the caucus said. "May he rest in power and everlasting peace." Rangel is preceded in death by his wife, Alma, a social worker whom he met in a Harlem ballroom in the 1950s; she died in 2024. The couple shared two children.
Politico
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Former US Rep. Charles Rangel of New York has died at age 94
NEW YORK — Former Democratic US Rep. Charles Rangel of New York, an outspoken, gravel-voiced Harlem Democrat who spent nearly five decades on Capitol Hill and was also a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, died Monday at age 94. The family confirmed the death in a statement provided by City College of New York spokesperson Michelle Stent. He died at a hospital in New York, Stent said. Rangel, a veteran of the Korean War, defeated legendary Harlem politician Adam Clayton Powell in 1970 to start his Congressional career. During the next 40-plus years, he became a legend himself — a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, dean of the New York Congressional delegation, and in 2007, the first African-American to chair the powerful Ways and Means Committee. He stepped down from that committee amid an ethics cloud, and the House later censured him. But he was reelected and went on to serve in Congress until 2017.
