Nancy Pelosi says Arizonans will be worse off under Trump tax plan

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi warned Arizonans that the tax cuts signed into law by President Donald Trump will lead to cuts in health care and education that will leave working families worse off.

In a whirlwind of meetings Tuesday, including a stop at The Arizona Republic, the top-ranking congressional Democrat argued that Trump's signature policy achievement in his first year will leave the nation deeper in debt and already has Republicans searching for cuts elsewhere in the federal budget.

"We are stating who we are as a country," Pelosi told about 100 supporters in Phoenix who gathered at a "Trump Tax Town Hall." It is part of a series of national stops she is doing from Florida to Texas to California.

The Republican budget plans include $1.4 trillion less for Medicaid, $500 billion less for Medicare and cuts to job training and other programs, she said, calling it an "assault on working families."

"First of all, to itself, the tax bill is very unfair. Eighty-three percent of the benefits go to the top 1 percent," she told The Republic. "We could have done this in a bipartisan way. ... To go about this in a way that increases the debt, doesn't necessarily create jobs, it's just not right."

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Pelosi, a former House speaker, remains a polarizing figure in national politics. She created a stir last month when she likened the money workers get from the tax cut legislation to "crumbs" compared to what business owners get from it.

Republicans, including Trump, have used the comments to suggest Pelosi is out of touch with ordinary Americans and said Tuesday there is a wedge within her party, too.

"The Arizona Democratic Party knows how deeply unpopular Nancy Pelosi is among Arizonans. That's the reason they wanted nothing to do with today's event," said Torunn Sinclair, a spokeswoman for the Arizona Republican Party. "While Arizonans are receiving increases in net pay, raises, bonuses and better benefits, (Arizona Democratic Reps.) Kyrsten Sinema, Tom O'Halleran and the entire Arizona Democratic Party are struggling to defend their opposition to this legislation. My guess is, Nancy Pelosi calling thousand dollar bumps in pay 'crumbs' doesn't help." 

Pelosi told The Republic her characterization of the plan is correct, however. It stokes inequality, she said, and whatever its effect on workers is temporary, while businesses keep their benefits permanently.

Pelosi also criticized congressional Republicans — not just Trump — as the source of what she views as bad policy.

"It isn't about Donald Trump. I say to my Republican friends, take back your party. This isn't who you are," she said.

"This isn't about the Grand Old Party that did so much for our country. This is something that is anti-evidence, anti-science, anti-government. Actually, President Trump coming in is their guy. ... There's nothing that President Trump has advocated on policy that they haven't been there longer and worse. Name any subject. Immigration, gun safety, climate, environment, clean air, clean water, a woman's right to choose, fairness in our economy." 

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