Opinion

GOP Tax Cuts Provide Benefits That Democrats Think Only Big Government Can Offer

Reuters/ By Kevin Lamarque and Toya Sarno Jordan

Abigail Marone Americans for Tax Reform
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Remember when Democrats said the only way to increase paid family leave, health care coverage and education opportunities was by raising taxes? They were wrong.

Democrats loudly campaigned for tax hikes and promised government mandated benefits in return. When it came time to vote for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act not a single Democrats voted yes.

Despite their unified opposition, the bill Democrats predicted would be “armageddon” has increased the very benefits the Left pledged to deliver to Americans.

Since Republican tax cuts went into effect, working Americans have received increased healthcare coverage, expanded family leave, and greater education and apprenticeship opportunities. Not a single one of these benefits came from a government mandate or tax increase. The benefits came from companies sharing the benefits of a lower corporate tax rate with their employees.

Firebird Bronze, a foundry in Oregon, is one of the many small businesses to offer healthcare coverage to their employees because of tax cuts. This marks the first time the company has been able to offer insurance.

Rip Caswell, owner of Firebird Bronze, told Americans for Tax Reform “because of the tax cuts and the current business-friendly climate we are for the first time offering employees health care insurance costing our company 40k per year.” This feat would have been difficult without the tax cuts.

Other businesses are improving their healthcare thanks to tax cuts. Benchmark Auto Sales in Asheville, North Carolina increased their health care coverage to 100 percent of employees. Prior to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, only 20 percent of employees had such coverage.

Businesses are also turning tax cut savings into employee education benefits. After the tax cuts were passed, McDonald’s announced a $150 million allocation over a five year period to their Archways to Opportunity education program. The program provides McDonald’s employees with money to pay for their education.

Along with the funding increase, McDonald’s expanded and accelerated the program so more employees could participate. Now, employees who work 15 hours a week after 90 days of employment receive $1,500 worth of tuition per year. The tuition assistance can be used to pay for community college, trade school, or a traditional four-year university.  Some new benefits even apply to family members of McDonald’s employees.

There are over 14,000 McDonald’s locations in the United States full of employees taking advantage of this program. Whether it be a single mom trying to afford her college degree or an 18-year-old trying to pay for trade school, McDonald’s is turning the tax cuts into an opportunity to improve their employees’ education.

These enhanced educational offerings did not come from a free college government program or raising taxes on the rich — policies many Democrats campaigned on. Instead, it came from lowering taxes.

Republican tax cuts have also spurred new and expanded paid family leave benefits.

Large companies like Lowes and Walmart have expanded family leave programs in the wake of tax cuts. Lowes, for example, now provides paid maternity leave for 10 weeks, paid parental leave for two weeks, and faster eligibility for health benefits.

Both retailers, in addition to expanding their parental leave programs, will pay $5,000 in adoption expenses for employees wanting to bring a new child into their family.

Walmart has over 5,000 stores in the U.S. and Lowes has nearly 2,000. Other companies like Chipotle, CVS, Dollar Tree, HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls, along with many small businesses are also offering their employees new or increased leave benefits.

Not a single Democrat voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Now, the bill they call crumbs is providing Americans with benefits Hillary Clinton and Liberal candidates campaigned on in 2016.

Despite the benefits stemming from tax cuts, Democrats are campaigning on repealing the bill if they gain power in 2018. With a repeal will come a loss of benefits Democrats claim they want. The choice for 2018 could not be clearer.

Abigail Marone is a policy associate at Americans for Tax Reform.


The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of The Daily Caller.