Crowley said that under the Republican tax bill, an Air Force Staff Sergeant with eight years’ service, a spouse and three young children, would have his taxes raised “by a whopping $1,000”. Vowing he would not vote for tax cuts for millionaires while increasing taxes for 25 million hardworking middle class American families, including military families, Congressmember Joseph Crowley voted against the Republican tax plan last week.

Rising on the House floor, the Queens/Bronx Democrat declared,

“Of the 25 million hardworking Americans who would see their taxes go up as a result of this Republican bill, hundreds of thousands are the very people who sacrifice everything to protect us—our brave men and women in the military. This bill really should be called the Republican ‘Tax Hike On Our Heroes’ bill, because that is exactly what it would do.

“Republicans say we shouldn’t raise taxes on the Paris Hiltons of the world because they’re socalled ‘job creators’, but they’re fine on raising taxes on a first year Army private with a spouse and baby? At a time when every penny counts for hard-working Americans, these tax increases on working families and military families are unconscionable.”

The GOP tax plan, which was passed easily by the majority party, would end previous expansions of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit, and would end the American Opportunity Tax Credit (which helps make college more affordable for middle class families, Crowley explained.

The upshot for these middle income families is that cutting so many programs actually imposes an average tax increase of $1,000 on each of 25 million families, Crowley explained.

Crowley said he used an analysis from a report published by the Center for American Progress, which he said, highlights the impact the Republican bill would have on military families.

However, the bill is not expected to pass the Senate, where Democrats are in the majority.

In one more blast at the Republican majority in the House, Crowley stated,

“Now, I know those on the other side will come down here—one by one—and claim they are extending tax cuts for everyone. But you’re extending tax cuts for people earning over $1 million a year and raising taxes on families earning under $45,000 a year.”

Crowley also noted, “This bill scales back tax breaks put in place by President Obama and directly aimed at benefiting working families.”

Crowley said that under the Republican tax bill, an Air Force Staff Sergeant with eight years’ service, a spouse and three young children, would have his taxes raised “by a whopping $1,000”.

And a new recruit, a Private in the Army in his first year of service earning slightly over $18,000-a-year, married with an infant child, would see a $273 tax increase under the GOP plan.