Dear Member of Congress:

The current budget-deficit debate in Washington, like too many fiscal debates over the past 40 years, has been dominated by Republican demands to cut spending on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, education, housing, nutrition programs, and much more. Our organizations are fundamentally opposed to holding the debt limit and budget issues hostage. Instead we believe that major new investments are needed in these and other services that benefit working families in order to create an economy that works for all of us—and that requires the rich and corporations to pay their fair share of taxes. We believe President Biden’s proposed 2024 budget provides an important starting point for a new direction.

It is crucial that a clean debt limit bill be passed quickly that allows the United States to pay its bills—including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food assistance, and veterans’ benefits—and avoid global financial collapse. Anything less will legitimize future attempts to hold the full faith and credit of the U.S. government hostage and endanger hundreds of millions of people, no matter who they vote for. 

Our organizations want to reverse decades of tax cuts for the rich and corporations that are a primary cause of federal budget deficits. Ensuring the wealthy and corporations pay a fair share of taxes should be the focus of any budget negotiations, not cutting earned benefits and services working people and struggling families depend on to make ends meet and get ahead. This is also necessary to reverse historic racial and gender disparities and move the nation toward equitable opportunities for all. 

The Bush and Trump tax cuts that disproportionately benefited the rich and profitable corporations are a major driver of the national debt, as detailed in a new report from the Center for American Progress. Among its findings: 

• The original George W. Bush tax cuts and their extensions will have added $8.4 trillion to the national debt by the end of this year. 
• The 2017 Trump tax cuts will add another $1.7 trillion in debt through 2023. Moreover, the GOP wants to renew those tax cuts expiring in 2025, which would cost $3 trillion more. 

The Bush and Trump tax cuts alone are responsible for 57% of the increase in the debt ratio (debt as a percent of the economy) since 2001 and more than 90% of the increase in the debt ratio if the extraordinary costs of combating COVID-19 ($5.6 trillion) and the Great Recession ($787 billion) are excluded. 

Here are just a few examples of how these tax cuts favor the rich and corporations: top individual tax rates are about half what they were 40 years ago; corporate tax revenue as a share of total federal revenue has dropped from one-third to less than 10% since the middle of the last century; some billionaires pay no federal income taxes and others pay a lower tax rate than middle-class families pay when the growth of their investments are counted; and the top 1% evades $160 billion in taxes that they owe every year. 

Meanwhile, spending on the 15% of the federal budget consisting of non-defense discretionary programs has been largely flat as a share of the economy for a long time. This spending on healthcare, education, housing, child care, public safety, the environment, infrastructure, and other programs stood at 3.6% of GDP in 2022—the same as in 2002 and a bit less than the 3.8% average over the 60 years since 1962.

Contrary to misleading conservative accusations that deficits have exploded because of irresponsible congressional spending for Social Security and Medicare, their growth has been almost exclusively due to a growing and aging population and rising healthcare costs. Similarly, increases in the growth of federal spending over the next 30 years for these and other major public health care programs are being driven by these same factors, according to the Congressional Budget Office. These are programs whose benefits and services should be strengthened and increased to meet the growing demand, rather than be cut. 

Far from overspending on the nation’s needs in recent decades, Congress has underinvested in the American people. Despite historic gains under the Affordable Care Act, nearly 28 million still lack health insurance and up to 18 million more could lose coverage this year because of expired public health emergency rules. Care work makes all other work possible, but families struggle to afford quality child care and aging and disability care—even as care workers are paid too little to support their own families. Just a quarter of workers have paid family and medical leave on the job. Working families are priced out of housing and students struggle to afford college. About 38 million people live in poverty. And Congress has failed to require the wealthy to pay their fair share to strengthen Social Security and Medicare, critically important programs.

President Biden has started to address these problems by raising more revenue through fairer taxes, beginning with last year’s Inflation Reduction Act. His 2024 budget proposes to raise almost $5 trillion exclusively from tax reforms affecting the rich and corporations. Biden’s budget invests $2.8 trillion of that revenue to expand and improve public services vital to working families—and diverts additional existing revenue to guarantee that Medicare can pay all its bills for the next 25 years—while still bringing down deficits by $3 trillion.

President Biden’s budget illustrates how lawmakers can both improve services for working families and reduce the deficit through fairer taxes on the wealthy and corporations. Those special interests are the ones who have been prospering—in large part from generous tax breaks in recent decades—while working Americans have been struggling from a lack of public investment. Therefore, Congress should reverse decades of tax cuts for the well-off and well connected, and increase funding for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, healthcare, childcare, aging and disability care, paid family and medical leave, housing, nutrition, working-family tax credits, and other investments benefiting families, people with disabilities, and older adults. 

Sincerely,
List in formation

NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

20/20 Vision
Accountable.US
AFL-CIO
Alliance for a Just Society
Alliance for Retired Americans
Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments
Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools
Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU)
American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)
American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM)
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
American Friends Service Committee
American Postal Workers Union (APWU)
Americans for Democratic Action (ADA)
Americans for Tax Fairness
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO
Avaaz
Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM)
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Better Organizing to Win Legalization
Campaign for America’s Future
Care in Action
Caring Across Generations
Center For Economic And Policy Research
Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research (CLEAR)
Center for New Revenue
Center For Popular Democracy
Children’s Defense Fund
Church World Service
Coalition of Labor Union Women
Coalition on Human Needs
Color of Change
CommonDefense.us
Communications Workers of America (CWA)
Community Change Action
Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
Courage For America
DemCast USA
Demos
Economic Policy Institute
Economic Security Project Action
Empowering Pacific Islander Communities
Family Values @ Work
First Focus Campaign for Children
For Our Future Action Fund
Freelancers Union
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Groundwork Collaborative
Health Care for America Now
Health Care Voices
Health Care Voter
Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters, USA-JPIC
Hunger Free America
In The Public Interest
Indivisible
Institute for Policy Studies – Inequality Program
Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)
International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAM)
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE)
IronPAC
Main Street Alliance
MomsRising
MoveOn
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
National Association for Hispanic Elderly
National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO (NALC)
National Association of Social Workers
National Domestic Workers Alliance
National Education Association
National Employment Law Project
National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE)
National Health Care for the Homeless Council
National Organization for Women
National Nurses United
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Rural Social Work Caucus
National Women’s Law Center
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
NextGen America
Our Revolution
Oxfam America
P Street
Patriotic Millionaires
People’s Action
Poverty Project at the Institute for Policy Studies
Prosperity Now
Public Advocacy for Kids (PAK)
Public Citizen
RESULTS
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Small Business Majority
SocioEnergetics Foundation
Sojourners
Stop TB USA
Strong Economy For All Coalition
T1International USA
Take on Wall Street
Tax Justice Network USA
The Workers Circle
Transport Workers Union of America
UltraViolet
Union for Reform Judaism
Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice
UNITE HERE
United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union (USW)
Universal Income Project
Unrig Our Economy
VoteVets

STATE & LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS

ALABAMA
Alabama AFL-CIO

ALASKA
907 Initiative

ARIZONA
Indivisible Sedona
Indivisible Stand

ARKANSAS
Arkansas Community Organizations

CALIFORNIA
California Federation of Teachers
California State University Employees Union
Indivisible 49
Indivisible CA Green Team
Indivisible CBFD
Indivisible East Bay
Indivisible Marin
Indivisible Sacramento
Indivisible San Francisco
Indivisible San Jose
Indivisible Sausalito
Indivisible Sonoma County
Indivisible South Bay Los Angeles
Indivisible Ventura
NABET/CWA Local # 53
RESULTS – Sierra Nevada
RESULTS – Silicon Valley
SEIU Local 221
SEIU Local 99
Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce
Therapists for Peace & Justice
Venice Resistance

COLORADO
AFSCME Council 18
American Federation of Teachers – Colorado
Colorado Children’s Campaign
Colorado Consumer Health Initiative
Progress Now Colorado

CONNECTICUT
Connecticut Citizen Action Group
Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund (CWEALF)
Indivisible Connecticut Shoreline
SEIU Local 2001

FLORIDA
All About The Ballots
Asian American Federation of Florida – South Region
Asian Caribbean Exchange
Black Women’s Roundtable/ Broward
Faith in Florida
Florida Alliance for Retired Americans
Florida Asian Services
Florida Black Women’s Roundtable
Florida National Organization for Women
Florida Rising
Greater Orlando National Organization for Women
Labor Community Alliance of South Florida
OCA South Florida Chapter
People Power United
RESULTS – NSU
RESULTS – North Florida
South Florida Chapter of Indivisible

GEORGIA
Georgia Alliance to End Homelessness
Indivisible Georgia Coalition

HAWAII
Hawaii Children’s Action Network Speaks!

IDAHO
United Action for Idaho

ILLINOIS
Citizen Action/Illinois
Housing Action Illinois

INDIANA
American Federation of Teachers – Indiana
American Federation of Teachers – Local 519
Gary Teachers Union Local 4
Hammond Teachers’ Federation – Local 394
Hoosier Action
Lafayette Urban Ministry
Marion County Commission on Youth, Inc.
RESULTS – Indiana

IOWA
A Mid-Iowa Organizing Strategy (AMOS)
AFSCME Council 61
Indivisible Iowa
Iowa Citizen Action Network
Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
Iowa Main Streets and Country Roads
Progress Iowa
RESULTS – Iowa
SEIU Healthcare Iowa

KANSAS
AFSCME Council 61
Kansas AFL-CIO

LOUISIANA
Indivisible SBC
Louisiana Budget Project
Prince Hall Masons

MAINE
Maine Center for Economic Policy
Maine Children’s Alliance
Maine Education Association
Maine Equal Justice
Maine People’s Alliance
Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition
Maine Small Business Coalition
Maine Women’s Lobby
MSEA-SEIU Local 1989
New Ventures Maine

MARYLAND
Advance Maryland
AFSCME Maryland Council 3
American Federation of Teachers – Maryland
Chesapeake Climate Action Network
Madre Terra de Mujeres Latinas Inmigrantes en MD
Public Justice Center
RESULTS – DC/MD
SEIU LOCAL 500

MASSACHUSETTS
Coalition for Social Justice Education Fund
Mass Alliance of HUD Tenants
Massachusetts AFL-CIO
People Power United
RESULTS – Massachusetts

MICHIGAN
AFSCME Council 25
DemCast Michigan
Detroit Action
Michigan AFL-CIO
Michigan Alliance of Latinos Moving Toward Advancement
Progress Michigan
SEIU Michigan

MINNESOTA
AFSCME Council 5
AFSCME Council 65
ISAIAH
Minnesota AFL-CIO
SEIU Healthcare Minnesota
SEIU Local 284

MISSOURI
AFSCME Council 61
Empower Missouri
Missouri Action Alliance
Missouri AFL-CIO

MONTANA
Big Sky 55+
Great Falls Rising
Montana AFL-CIO
Montana Federation of Public Employees
Montana Human Rights Network
Montana Women Vote
Montanans Organized for Education (MOFE)

NEBRASKA
AFSCME Council 61
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
Nebraska Appleseed
Nebraska Alliance for Retired Americans
Open Sky Policy Institute
Voices for Children in Nebraska

NEVADA
Battle Born Progress
Faith Organizing Alliance
Human Services Network
Indivisible Northern Nevada
Make the Road Nevada
Native Voters Alliance Nevada
Nevada Public Health Association
Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Granite State Organizing Project
Granite State Progress
New Hampshire AFL-CIO
Rights & Democracy
Witness to Hunger New Hampshire

NEW JERSEY
BlueWave NJ
CWA Local 1037
CWA Local 1081
Faith in New Jersey
Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE/AFT/AFL-CIO)
Hudson County Central Labor Council
IFPTE Local 194
Latino Action Network
Lutherans Engaging in Advocacy Ministry
Make the Road New Jersey
New Jersey Black Issues Convention
New Jersey Citizen Action
New Jersey Coalition To End Domestic Violence
New Jersey Education Association
New Jersey Main Street Alliance
New Jersey Time to Care Coalition
New Jersey Work Environment Council
New Jersey Working Families Party
Region 9 UAW Housing Corporation

NEW MEXICO
AFSCME Council 18
American Federation of Teachers – New Mexico
New Mexico Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO (NMFL)
New Mexico Voices for Children

NEW YORK
Church Women United in New York State
Citizen Action of New York
Housing Works, Inc.
Indivisible Harlem
Indivisible Syracuse
Indivisible Ulster
Metro New York Health Care for All
Move Forward NY CD 18 & 19
New York Progressive Action Network
North County – New York Progressive Action Network
Tenants PAC
Upper West Side Action Group

NORTH CAROLINA
Action NC
Currituck County Professional Firefighters EMS IAFF Local 4633
Family Centered Treatment Foundation
Fayetteville Police Accountability Community Taskforce
Meals4Families
New North Carolina Project
North Carolina State AFL-CIO
Safe Coalition NC
Tenant Organizing Resource Center

NORTH DAKOTA
AFSCME Council 65
North Dakota AFL-CIO

OHIO
OAPSE/AFSCME Local 4
RESULTS – Ohio

OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma AFL-CIO

OREGON
American Federation of Teachers – Oregon
Family Forward Oregon
GenZOregonizers
Oregon Center for Public Policy
Oregonizers
Our Children Oregon
RESULTS – Oregon
SEIU Local 503
Tax Fairness Oregon

PENNSYLVANIA
Action Wellness
Bucks County Women’s Advocacy Coalition
Coalition for Low Income Pennsylvanians
Cumberland Valley Rising
District 10 Network
Government Relations Advisory Committee – PA MS Society
Here For Us Advocacy Coalition
Indivisible Bucks County
Indivisible Pennsylvania Statewide
Indivisible Philadelphia
Lycoming County Progressives
New Opportunities for Affordable Housing
New Pennsylvania Project
Pennsylvania Health Access Network
Pennsylvania Policy Center
Philadelphia Federation of Teachers
Philly Neighborhood Networks
The HUB for Progress
The Women and Girls Foundation
VNA Community Services, Inc.

RHODE ISLAND
Economic Progress Institute
Protect Our Healthcare Coalition RI
Rhode Island AFL-CIO
Rhode Island College AFT Faculty Local 1819
Rhode Island Democratic Women’s Caucus
Rhode Island Interfaith Coalition to Reduce Poverty
South County Huddle
Women’s Fund of Rhode Island
The Womxn Project, The Womxn Project Education Fund

SOUTH CAROLINA
RESULTS – South Carolina

SOUTH DAKOTA
AFSCME Council 65

TENNESSEE
RESULTS – Tennessee
Southern Christian Coalition

TEXAS
Clean Elections Texas
Every Texan
Indivisible Houston
Texas AFL-CIO
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hidalgo County

UTAH
Alliance for a Better Utah

VERMONT
American Federation of Teachers – Vermont

VIRGINIA
American Federation of Teachers – Local 4261
AMMD Pine Grove Project
Appalachian Voices
Bread Across Borders
Center for Sustainable Communities
Charlottesville Chapter of Virginia Organizing
Community Gear Library
Danville Chapter of Virginia Organizing
Dreamers Mothers In Action (SMIA)
Eastern Shore Chapter of Virginia Organizing
Fearless Ubuntu
Fredericksburg Chapter of Virginia Organizing
Friends of Buckingham
Harrisonburg/Rockingham County Chapter of Virginia Organizing
Indivisible Virginia
Interspiritual Empowerment Project
Little Bluestem
Lynchburg Chapter of Virginia Organizing
Martinsville/Henry County Chapter of Virginia Organizing
New River Valley Chapter of Virginia Organizing
New Virginia Majority
Newport News/Hampton Chapter of Virginia Organizing
Norfolk Chapter of Virginia Organizing
Piedmont Housing Alliance
Portsmouth Chapter of Virginia Organizing
Progress Virginia
Protect Our Commonwealth
Richmond Chapter of Virginia Organizing
Suffolk Chapter of Virginia Organizing
The Clinch Coalition
Tidewater DSA
Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations
Virginia Education Association
Virginia Organizing
Waynesboro Chapter of Virginia Organizing
Wise County Chapter of Virginia Organizing
Wythe County Chapter of Virginia Organizing

WASHINGTON
American Federation of Teachers – Washington
Conscious Talk Radio
Economic Opportunity Institute
Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO

WEST VIRGINIA
Eastern Panhandle Central Labor Council
Mason Jackson Roane Labor Council
Morgantown NOW
Ohio Valley Trades and Labor Assembly
Planned Parenthood South Atlantic
Rise Up West Virginia
Southern Appalachian Labor School
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charleston WV
West Virginia Citizen Action Group
West Virginians for Affordable Health Care

WISCONSIN
Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC)
Citizen Action of Wisconsin
The Milwaukee Turners

WYOMING
Better Wyoming