LITTLE ROCK – In her latest effort to deceive Arkansas voters, Joyce Elliott is falsely claiming that Congressman French Hill voted to cut Medicare and Social Security by supporting the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA).

Joyce seems to be relying on an opinion piece in a Washington, D.C. publication to justify her fictitious attack. Not only is this claim completely false, but it is Joyce Elliott, not Congressman Hill, who supports the government-takeover of healthcare that will lead to the bankruptcy of our Medicare system. She’s even stated publicly that she would “prefer a single payer option,” if elected.

“There she goes again,” said Hill Campaign Chairwoman Judith Goodson. “Joyce Elliott can’t seem to help herself when it comes to misrepresenting the facts, even going so far as to cite an opinion piece that lacks any form of credibility.”

“In reality, Congressman Hill’s vote for the TCJA cut taxes for Arkansas families and small businesses all across the district. He also voted to end the burdensome Obama-era tax increases that Joyce said she would have voted for and now wants to expand.”

Instead of an opinion piece, let’s look at a few actual facts:

• “The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act delivers tax relief at every income level – while maintaining the top 39.6% tax rate on high-income earners. It lowers tax rates on low- and middle-income Americans and significantly increases the standard deduction, which means hard-working Americans can immediately take home more of their paychecks.”^[1]

 

• The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found that after TCJA passage, Medicare solvency improved. ^[2]
• CBO found that TCJA will improve both wages and employment, and CBO now projects $300 billion more in payroll tax collections over 2018-2027 than it did before TCJA became law. This is important because payroll tax collections finance both Medicare and Social Security. ^[3]
• Seniors are payingless taxes on their Social Security benefits. By lowering income tax rates, TCJA resulted in seniors being able to keep more of their Social Security income. ^[4]

“The truth is Congressman Hill has always fought to strengthen both Medicare and Social Security for current and future generations—and he always will,” added Goodson. “If Joyce Elliott is willing to be dishonest about this, what else is she willing to say or do?”

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^[1] U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means, The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: Charge and Response. November 2017.

^[2] United States Congress Joint Economic Committee, The Truth About Medicare and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, (https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/republicans/2018/9/the-truth-about-medicare-and-the-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act).

^[3] United States Congress Joint Economic Committee, The Truth About Medicare and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, (https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/republicans/2018/9/the-truth-about-medicare-and-the-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act).

^[4] United States Congress Joint Economic Committee, The Truth About Medicare and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, (https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/republicans/2018/9/the-truth-about-medicare-and-the-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act).