UnidosUS: Federal Tax and Budget Proposals Will Rollback Progress for Virginia’s Working Families

ARLINGTON, VA—With the release of the Trump administration’s tax plan and an upcoming vote on the federal budget, UnidosUS (formerly NCLR) experts held a roundtable to address how Latino Virginians will fare under the proposals put forth by Republican leadership. Panelists discussed how the proposals will fail America’s working families by gutting funding for anti-poverty programs and refundable tax credits, forcing those most vulnerable to foot the bill while providing massive tax cuts to millionaires and wealthy corporations.

During the event, participants weighed in on how the debate over the budget and tax reform gloss over the statewide impact, unveiling a new fact sheet that highlights the gains Virginia has made from commonsense policies that have driven economic growth. Experts discussed how deep cuts to critical programs like Medicaid and targeted efforts to deny immigrant parents access to the Child Tax Credit (CTC), jeopardize the state’s economic progress and that of Latino Virginians. In Virginia, where Latinos account for 18 percent of all households who receive the CTC, efforts to end the tax credit could drive millions of U.S. citizen Latino children into poverty.

“The tax reform and budget plans proposed by the Trump administration and Republican leaders champion the voice of one group: our nation’s wealthiest. Despite the labels they attach to it, these proposals fail to meaningfully invest in hardworking families and underserved communities, opting instead to defund vital programs that have helped millions of Americans stay afloat and obtain health coverage. We urge congressional leaders to do right by the American people and reject these proposals,” said Rafael Collazo, Director of Political Campaigns at UnidosUS.