DNC Daily Message Guidance – January 18, 2018

1. Time is Running Out: The Latest on Shutdown
2. Trump’s First Year and the Economy
3. DREAM Act
4. Republican Tax Plan

 

Time is Running Out: The Latest on Shutdown

• Republicans control the White House and both chambers. It is their responsibility to keep the lights on.

 

• The GOP is trying to pass the blame, but it’s very clear that they are at fault if the government shuts down.

o    There has never before been a shutdown under unified control of government.

o    Nearly twice as many voters would blame Trump or Congressional Republicans for a shutdown than would blame Democrats

 

• The GOP has repeatedly shown they cannot govern, and this latest bout of Republican infighting is Exhibit A.

o    Trump’s opposition to the Senate’s bipartisan immigration agreement threatens to lead to a government shutdown.

o    House Republican infighting increases the risk of a shutdown as they can’t even come to a solution within their caucus.

 

• Instead of passing a budget last fall, Republicans went all out to pass their disastrous Trump Tax to provide giant giveaways to wealthy corporations. Now, we are again on the brink of a shutdown.

o    Trump and Pence have previously said that presidential leadership was required to reach a budget deal and avoid a shutdown.

 

• We call on the GOP to focus on supporting veterans’ health care and the fight against opioids, funding CHIP and Community Health Centers, saving Americans’ pensions, and passing the DREAM Act.

 

Trump’s First Year and the Economy

This is the first in a series by the DNC that will explore the defining themes of Trump’s first year in office over the next several days.

 

• Trump launched his presidency by promising America that the “forgotten men and women will be forgotten no longer.”  It’s now clearer than ever that those words represent a central lie of the Trump presidency.

 

• The president made big promises to grow the economy, bring back jobs, raise wages and protect American workers, all of which have gone unfulfilled.

o    The economy added fewer jobs than in any year since 2010.

o    Offshoring of manufacturing jobs increased, and the Trump tax may actually encourage companies to move jobs overseas.

o    Our trade deficit with China grew.

o    Wage growth was stagnant.

 

• A defining theme of Trump’s first year in office has been his insatiable desire to enrich the wealthy and big corporations at the expense of working Americans.
• Trump and his party spent the better part of the year trying to take away health care from tens of millions of Americans, and when that failed, they passed a tax bill that gave more than 80% of its benefits to the top 1%.
• At the same time, Trump and his cabinet waged war against working families through quieter efforts. This past year, Trump has:

o    Proposed cutting job training programs by 40%.

o    Overturned a rule that would have made it easier for workers to collectively bargain with big corporations.

o    Reversed a rule that would have helped millions get paid for overtime.

o    Made it harder for Americans to save for retirement.

 

• Trump and Republicans have made it clear that they’ll continue their campaign to reward the wealthy at the expense of the middle class. Democrats will keep fighting to create an economy that works for everyone, and we’ll fight to ensure that every American has the opportunity get ahead and stay ahead.

 

DREAM Act

• More than 16,000 Dreamers have already lost their DACA status since Trump ended the program in September. He’s forcing thousands of immigrants—who only know this country as their home—back into the shadows.

o    Each day without the DREAM Act, more than 120 young immigrants will lose their DACA protection, risk deportation, and become vulnerable to losing their jobs, drivers licenses, and ability to support their families. That is 850 people each week.

o    This is tearing families apart and making our communities less safe.

 

• Trump’s decision to end DACA without a legislative solution will significantly harm our nation’s economy and nearly 800,000 Dreamers who live, study, and work here. Congress needs to right the ship and mitigate the damage that’s already been done.

o    DREAMers contribute to our economy, their communities, and pay taxes, working as teachers, first responders, and service members.

 

• Democrats believe our diversity is our greatest strength.  We will always fight for hardworking families and a smart, sensible immigration system.

o    Congressional Democrats stand ready to pass the DREAM Act.  Republicans need to act quickly and do what’s right for our country.

 

Republican Tax Plan

• The GOP has officially sold out the American people and betrayed working families in order to line the pockets of the wealthiest. Billionaires and corporations win, and the American people lose.

 

• The Trump Tax will raise taxes on more than half of Americans, while giving more than 80% of the benefits to the top 1% over the next decade.

o    Republicans have tried to claim that their tax bill is focused on helping middle-class families in 2018, but in reality more than half of the benefits will go to the richest 10% of Americans this year–and it only gets worse from there.

 

• Despite Republican promises, banks and other large corporations have distributed their tax windfalls to Wall Street investors at the expense of workers. Companies that Trump touted for giving bonuses to employees have been simultaneously laying off their workers.

 

• Republicans are already looking forward to using the skyrocketing deficits the Trump Tax creates as an excuse to slash funding for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, education, and other critical programs that Americans rely on.

 

—

Lucas Acosta

National Broadcast Media Manager

Director of LGBTQ Media

Democratic National Committee

(o) 202-479-5199

(c) 202-664-7609