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Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Delivers Remarks at a Rally Opposing the Republican Tax Plan

November 21, 2017

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Thank you everyone for being here. Andrea, thank you so much. Everybody I want you to think about what Andrea just said, a lifetime of working hard, paying in to Medicare, expecting it to be there for her. And now she sees in Washington that her rights are about to be taken away, that everything she put her life into is about to be undermined and why? To give a tax break to the wealthiest Americans. To give a tax break to corporations. Andrea and millions of other hardworking Americans are about to see their money taken away and given to the people who already have the most. Are we going to stand for that?

Audience: No!

Mayor: Are seniors all over this country going to fight back?

Audience: Yes!

Mayor: I think the people have spoken. I want to thank everyone who is here, because Andrea you are pointing out the human consequence, what it means to everyday people who have worked so hard. And they understand they’re about to be robbed in broad daylight. And no one is going to be hurt more than seniors on fixed incomes, they don’t have more to give. But this plan is going to cut them to the bone. Their lives, the lives of our seniors, involve so many times struggling to make ends meet. That’s what’s happening to seniors all over this country. This tax bill is only going to make it worst, and there is a fight that is raging all of the country to stop it. And it’s growing. You’re going to see it in every part of this country in the next few weeks. Seniors standing up, and so many others, to say we can’t let this happen.

I want you to recognize the impact on Medicare alone, a loss of $25 billion. $25 billion that would be taken from Medicare and given to the wealthy. Is that fair?

Audience: No!

Mayor: The idea of ending deductions for medical expensive, how cruel can they get? Medical expenses. When people are forced to pay so much and they need those deductions. Taking that away and giving that money to the corporations. It’s happening before our very eyes. Well, we’re here in front of Trump Tower with a message for the President, you are in for a big fight Mr. President.

[Applause]

Seniors all over the country are not going to forgive you for this. Seniors know how to fight back. And by the way, seniors vote!

[Applause]

I want to thank – they vote and they win, amen. I want to thank everyone who is here. I want to particularly thank a great leader in this city supporting the needs of seniors, our Commissioner of The Department for the Aging Donna Corrado. Thank you for your great work Donna.

[Applause]

And then all the organizations who are represented here. I want to thank Local 802 the American Federation of Musicians, thank you.

[Applause]

I want to thank the New York State Nurses Association.

[Applause]

I want to thank DC37 AFSCME.

[Applause]

I want to thank the Professional Staff Congress of CUNY.

[Applause]

I want to thank Unite Here.

[Applause]

And especially a thank you to the Alliance for Retired Americans

[Applause]

We’re here with one voice, and we’re saying this is a scam. This is literally a tax plan written by and for millionaires. It’s a scam, and people are seeing through it more and more all over the country. Everyday people are realizing what this tax plan is. They understand it’s going to hurt working families, it’s going to hurt young people who are trying to pay their student debt, and of course, it’s going to hurt seniors.

And it’s bad enough if they don’t include health care in the plan but now what they’re doing is they’re trying to take away one of the key pillars of the Affordable Care Act. They’ve put that into the tax plan now too, undermining health care for all.

Well, let me tell you, there was a big fight a few weeks ago. The American people spoke out when they saw the Affordable Care Act threatened, when they saw health care for all about to be undermined there was a fight all over this country. And how many times did you hear the Affordable Care Act was on death’s door? Well, guess what, it survived. It’s still there because people fought and people won.

[Applause]

Speaking of winners – I see now the red hats of the Communications Workers of America. Thank you for being here with us.

[Applause]

And UFT is here – the United Federation of Teachers. Thank you.

[Applause]

So, look, let’s focus on that fight to save health care because people went to those town hall meetings, they went to their Congress members, their senators, they mobilized. You saw it all over the country. They were angry and they changed the course of history. And it’s now happening in districts all over the country.

And anyone who wants to join this movement, it’s easy to do. And a simple way to do it is to go online at TrumpTaxScam.org. Really easy to remember. TrumpTaxScam.org. And everyone can get involved there.

So, brothers and sisters, it’s time to fight. I love – I didn’t see, we’re also joined by the Granny Peace Brigade. When they’re here, big things are happening.

[Applause]

Thank you.

It’s time to fight. It’s time to stand up for seniors. It’s time to say we are not going to let the millionaire’s take away the hard earned gains of our seniors.

Are we going to fight?

Audience: Yes!

Mayor: Are we going to fight?

Audience: Yes!

Mayor: Say it loud enough that he can hear you.

Audience: Yes!

Mayor: Alright, a few words in Spanish before I introduce a few of my colleagues.

[Mayor de Blasio speaks in Spanish]

With that, I want to turn to a few of our elected officials who are standing up against this tax plan and standing up for seniors every day. First, it’s my honor to introduce Assembly member David Weprin of Queens.

[Applause]

[...]

Thank you, brother. Thank you very much. And now, from Brooklyn, Assembly member Jo Anne Simon.

[Applause]

[...]

Thank you, Jo Anne. And now the Chair of the Health Committee in the City Council, Council Member Cory Johnson of Manhattan.

[Applause]

[...]

Audience: Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you!

Mayor: Well said Council Member. Everyone we know what we got to do. We got to work all over the city, all over the state, all over this country to stop this tax plan. It is a tax scam – simply, a tax scam, and we’re not going to let it happen.

And the people get it more and more. So, now we have to reach out to everybody we know. We have to make sure their senators, their Congress members hear what’s really going on.

Once the people get it, we can stop this plan. Once the elected officials understand seniors won’t take it, seniors won’t accept it, seniors won’t stand for it, then they’ll stand back.

[Applause]

Are we going to fight this plan?

Audience: Yes!

Mayor: Are we going to win?

Audience: Yes!

Mayor: Thank you, everybody. Good job.

[Applause]

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