Billboard campaign targets Brooks, Hollingsworth for tax vote

By Quinn Fitzgerald
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS–An advocacy group called Not One Penny has unveiled billboards in 30 congressional districts criticizing Republican lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks, R-Carmel, and U.S. Rep. Trey Hollingsworth, R-Jeffersonville, for their support of tax cut legislation passed late last year.

“There are a lot of different moving pieces about the bill that we find really bad,” said Tim Hogan, spokesperson for Not One Penny.

For one, members of Congress who promoted and voted for President Donald Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act stand to benefit substantially from the pass-through tax break, according to a new analysis by the Center for American Progress Action Fund––an independent, nonpartisan policy institute and advocacy organization.

Additionally, the Tax Policy Center found that 92 million middle-income families across America will pay more in taxes, while the richest 0.1 percent will get a nearly $150,000 tax break from the law.

Hogan said that because the plan repeals a mandate in the Affordable Care Act, 13 million Americans will lose access to affordable health care. They will also see a 10 percent increase in health insurance premiums.

Not One Penny is a national coalition of 62 organizations––such as MoveOn.org and Citizens for Tax Justice––that fought against the Trump’s tax law as it was working its way through the legislative process last year. Now, they are campaigning against some Republicans who voted for the legislation.

The coalition’s billboard campaign aims to show how each member is benefitting from the new tax law at the expense of American families. The billboard targeting Brooks states that she “gave herself up to a $106,500 tax break.” Hollingsworth has been called out for receiving a $4,556,500 tax break. The numbers are based on a recently-released study by CAPAF.

“They’re lining their pockets while raising taxes on the middle class,” Hogan said. “They should be called out for putting themselves ahead of their constituents.”

Hogan said he hopes the billboards educate the public about the negative impact of the legislation.

Brooks and Hollingsworth were unavailable to comment.

Quinn Fitzgerald is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.