| Dear Katy, Republicans attack abortion rights whenever and wherever they can. Right now, it is through the Trump Tax Scam. It is not enough that the bills moving through Congress would make deep cuts to the social safety net and raise taxes on middle- and lower-income families – all while giving Trump and his wealthy friends trillions in handouts. They would also strike an intentional blow to abortion rights by enshrining the language "unborn child" into the federal tax code.1 Senate Democrats must push back on this attack on women with everything they've got. They should be calling out Republicans' attempt to inject anti-abortion politics into the tax code and pledging to block any tax bill that contains the unborn child provision. If we speak out now, we can make sure this issue does not get lost among all the other horrible things in the tax scam. Can you add your name today? Tell the Senate: Block the anti-abortion provision in the Trump tax scam. Click here to sign the petition. Republican right-wing extremists in Congress are trying to sneak their unborn child language into a provision about the 529 plan, a college savings account. These accounts let parents put aside money for their children's education. They already allow parents to set up accounts for their children before they are born. Parents set up the account in their own names and then transfer it to their child's name when the child is born. Republicans' new language specifically states that an "unborn child may be treated as a designated beneficiary or an individual under section 529 plans."2 It is unnecessary as tax law, but a great way for right-wing Republican leadership to give a gift to the anti-abortion extremists in their base. Enshrining "unborn child" in the tax code helps these extremists achieve their goal of legally establishing fetal personhood. If they can codify the notion that life begins at conception, they can claim that fetuses have constitutional rights and lay the groundwork for banning abortion outright. Republicans in states across the country have tried other ways to establish fetal personhood. Personhood amendments have failed in every state, but other attempts to give fetuses, and even embryos, rights or to punish women for endangering their fetuses have succeeded in greasing "an already slippery slope" of prioritizing fetal rights over women's rights.3 Senate Democrats, along with any Republican with a conscience who cares more about women than party politics, must shut this latest attempt down. Help make sure they know we are expecting them to stand strong for women's rights and block this right-wing extremist sneak attack on abortion. Click the link below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/TaxScam_Personhood?t=7&akid=26087%2E12967895%2EpAU1-5 Thank you for fighting for abortion rights today, Heidi Hess, Senior Campaign Manager
CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: References: - Emily Peck, "Senate Republicans Shoehorn Anti-Abortion Measure Into Tax Bill," HuffPost, Nov. 14, 2017.
- Ibid.
- Christina Cauterucci, "Why the Republican Tax Plan Gives Fetuses the Right to Save for College," Slate, Nov. 6, 2017.
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