Latest news with #AmericansForProsperity
CBS News
19 hours ago
- Business
- CBS News
GOP-friendly group pouring in millions to try to boost support for Trump tax agenda
A leading GOP friendly group supporting President Trump's "one, big, beautiful bill" is readying a $4 million advertising buy aimed at helping steer the effort through the Senate after a number of Republicans voiced concerns about the legislation as it stands. The plans from Americans for Prosperity, first reported on by CBS News, come as the GOP-controlled Senate is expected to focus on the sprawling bill key to Mr. Trump's agenda after it narrowly passed the Republican led-House last month. The messaging from AFP includes "video and digital ads that will air on cable, connected TV, and other digital platforms," according to the organization. Television advertisements from the group will initially air in North Carolina, Louisiana, Maine, Idaho and the District of Columbia but could expand further. "The sooner the Senate advances the bill, the sooner Americans start seeing relief where they need it most," said Brent Gardner, the organization's chief government affairs officer in a statement. The statement also noted the group is well aware that as the process being used to fast track the bill progressed "the hill to climb was only going to get steeper." Crucial to the GOP bill is its continuation of key parts of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was a legislative trademark of Mr. Trump's first term in office. But the expansive bill that passed the House also includes Medicaid work requirements, a raise of the debt ceiling and a bevy of other major measures that could prove politically difficult to pass even with the relatively strong GOP majority in the Senate. "Look, I want to vote for it. I'm for the tax cuts. I voted for the tax cuts before. I want the tax cuts to be permanent, but at the same time, I don't want to raise the debt ceiling $5 trillion," Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan." The new advertising move from AFP include testimonials that show not only the impact of the 2017 tax cuts but also what could happen if Congress does not act soon to extend those earlier changes along with "ads encouraging fiscal hawks in the Senate to find spending offsets by further eliminating wasteful Biden-era spending programs," according to details set to be released by AFP. Democrats in Congress have so far strongly resisted the Trump agenda legislation. While most legislation in the Senate typically requires bipartisan support because of the chamber's filibuster threshold, Republican leaders are using a procedural route that would allow them to pass the bill on the strength of their partisan majority alone. Already a messaging standoff has emerged around the bill that could play a major role in the 2026 midterms. "Senate Republicans are doing everything in their power to rip away health care and spike costs for hardworking families, all to give billionaires a massive tax handout," Maeve Coyle, a spokesperson for the Senate Democrats campaign arm said in a recent statement. "Under the leadership of Senate Republicans, millions of people are at risk of losing their health insurance – and voters will hold them accountable for it at the ballot box in 2026." The Republican Party doesn't need every one of its Senators to vote for the bill in order for it to pass due to the party's successful 2024 election that saw the right take back the majority in the chamber and finish with a total of 53 seats. But losing the support of just four GOP senators could doom the push. "The Senate will have their differences, but focusing on where Republicans are unified is what will drive this bill forward – permanent tax cuts, energy abundance, secure borders, and the elimination of waste, fraud, and abuse," Gardner, with Americans for Prosperity, said in a statement.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Rep. Moran discusses tax cuts at Americans for Prosperity town hall
TYLER, Texas (KETK) – East Texas Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-TX) attended a town hall in Tyler on Friday to discuss the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Trump administration unveils more detailed proposal for steep 2026 spending cuts The town hall event was hosted at Tyler Junior College by the Texas chapter of Americans for Prosperity (AFP), a conservative political advocacy group backed by the billionaire Charles Koch. In Jan. 2025, The Hill reported on AFP's newly announced a $20 million nationwide campaign to push Congress to renew the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that was passed under President Donald Trumps first term in office. Moran supported renewing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on Friday by warning about how much taxes could go up next year. 'The average family would see about a 24% tax increase next year, and I don't think anybody in this room wants to see that tax increase,' Moran said. When asked about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or H.R. 1, an event attendee from Friday's town hall was curious about what the bill actually contains. 'The main thing is just to kind of hear from him what all is in that big beautiful bill because you know we haven't been shared a lot,' said attendee Sharron Fowler. Moran said he hopes to take the input he received on Friday back to Washington D.C. where Republicans are waiting on HR 1 to pass through the Senate. 'I'm hoping to take back more information and more input that we can talk about while we get this thing through the Senate,' Moran said. The AFP also ranks members of Congress according to how often their votes align with the group's stance on given pieces of legislation. Moran has a 94 lifetime score with the group, a 100 score for the current 119th session of Congress and a 88 score for the 118th session. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
19-05-2025
- Business
- Fox News
GOP lawmaker rallies around Trump's tax-cut campaign as competitive 2026 House race looms: 'Big issue'
Print Close By Deirdre Heavey Published May 19, 2025 BETHLEHEM, PA – Freshman GOP Rep. Ryan Mackenzie flipped a congressional seat in the Lehigh Valley just six months ago, but with competitive midterm elections expected in 2026, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is already building its grassroots coalition in his swing district. It's an off-election year for Mackenzie, who unseated longtime Democrat Rep. Susan Wild in November, but as the 42-year-old jogged through neighborhood blocks in Bethlehem and greeted constituents at their doors on Saturday afternoon, the newest Pennsylvania congressman still has 17 months before his first re-election challenge. Mackenzie joined AFP activists in the Lehigh Valley on Saturday for a day of action, designed to educate constituents on his work to extend President Donald Trump's 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and pass Trump's "big, beautiful bill" as budget negotiations continue back on Capitol Hill. He said it was his first time door knocking since winning in November. "We have a tremendous opportunity as members of Congress to actually pass transformative legislation which will bring down taxes and the cost of living for not only individuals, but small businesses all across this country. For the past four years, we've seen that inflation has been out of control, driving up the prices of everything — food, fuel, housing, healthcare," Mackenzie told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. GOP REPS, ADVOCACY GROUP TO TARGET COMPETITIVE HOUSE DISTRICTS IN TRUMP TAX-CUT PUSH "It's been very difficult for people to make ends meet. That was a big issue in the campaign, and now we have that opportunity to deliver, as members of Congress, with significant tax reform and tax relief," Mackenzie added. CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS TARGETING DOZENS OF HOUSE REPUBLICAN-HELD SEATS IN 2026 MIDTERM BATTLE FOR MAJORITY Conservative holdouts stalled a procedural vote for reconciliation on Friday, prompting House leaders to return to the Hill late Sunday night to continue negotiations. Meanwhile, Trump is urging House Republicans to pass his "big, beautiful bill" following his high-profile diplomatic trip to the Middle East last week. "Ultimately, we do have to get a resolution that satisfies 218 members of Congress. We're very close to doing that, and this is all part of the process. Nobody should be upset or concerned about any kind of little bumps in the road, because ultimately, we're going to come together to do what's right for the American people," Mackenzie said. The conservative advocacy group teamed up with GOP Reps. David Schweikert and Juan Ciscomani of Arizona, Ashley Hinson of Iowa, Tom Barrett of Michigan and Mackenzie of Pennsylvania for door-knocking, phone banks and grassroots organizing in a show of support for Trump's tax cuts this weekend — telling constituents how their representatives are working to alleviate financial burden for everyday Americans. AFP shared with Fox News Digital that they reached over 90,000 voters on Saturday. "Americans for Prosperity Pennsylvania has been on the ground knocking doors, making calls, hosting events, and organizing demonstrations to educate and show the urgency for Congress to make provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent," Emily Greene, Americans for Prosperity Pennsylvania State Director, told Fox News Digital. "We're talking with taxpayers and business owners every day who understand that Congress needs to get to work — we can't risk facing the largest tax hike in American history. After four years of record-high inflation, taxpayers deserve better." AFP launched the day of action in conjunction with a $20 million "Protect Prosperity" campaign, which the advocacy group called the single largest investment of any outside group dedicated to preserving the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. And it's no coincidence that AFP focused its attention on competitive congressional districts in Arizona, Iowa, Michigan and Pennsylvania this weekend, as contentious races are expected in 2026. While Saturday's day of action was designed to spotlight how Republican representatives are working in Washington, D.C., to boost the economy for everyday Americans back home, it also launched an early messaging campaign. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP As Democrats try to win back control in the House of Representatives in 2026, AFP is getting ahead of Democrats' likely attacks on vulnerable Republicans' support for Trump's "big, beautiful bill" — by telling Republican voters that their representatives are delivering for them. Print Close URL
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio voucher program: Data shows nearly 90% of participants are not low-income
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — State data shows nearly 90% of students enrolled in Ohio's voucher program this year are not low-income qualified, a dramatic turnabout from the program's stated initial purpose. Ohio's K-12 voucher program has made headlines recently as lawmakers consider trimming millions in state funds for public schools while expanding funds for state vouchers. Ohio offers five voucher programs, which provide state scholarships for students to attend private school. Of them, EdChoice and EdChoice Expansion have the largest participation by far. The EdChoice program began to help low-income students in struggling districts, but the EdChoice-Exp program made it so any Ohio student could get at least a partial scholarship, regardless of income. The expansion rapidly increased scholarship enrollment, but most of the recipients are not low-income eligible. See previous coverage of vouchers in the video player above. Tax credit would help fund Ohioans with young children According to state data, fewer EdChoice and EdChoice-Exp participants qualified as low-income this school year when compared to last. Further, according to a report from the General Assembly, 17% of EdChoice-Exp scholarships go to the state's top earners, all making more than $200,000 per year. This means the third-largest percentile of scholarship participants are among the top 8.4% wealthiest households in Ohio. Wealthy recipients receive less state money, so payments to top tax bracket participants only made up 3% of all voucher payments, $11 million. Proponents of scholarships say helping low-income students isn't the only goal of vouchers. Statehouse leaders call free school lunch programs 'wasteful' 'This is about more than economic need. This is about providing all families with a choice and flexibility in education,' Donovan O'Neil, director of Ohio's chapter of Americans For Prosperity, said. Scholarship participation skyrocketed once universal vouchers were implemented. However, private school enrollment did not follow the same trend, indicating that many of the students who embraced universal scholarships were already affording private school beforehand. Many Democratic lawmakers, public school advocates and teachers' unions point to state data like this to say vouchers no longer help low-income students and instead defer money from public schools. 'Ohioans deserve to live in a state where everyone can succeed. That means fully and fairly funding public schools rather than handing out vouchers to private or unregulated charter schools,' State Rep. Anita Somani (D-Dublin) said. Fact check: Has legal cannabis increased crime in Ohio? Vouchers also cannot help all Ohio students. Eight counties — Carroll, Champaign, Hardin, Holmes, Meigs, Morgan, Noble and Vinton — have no eligible EdChoice voucher schools, representing around 35,000 students, according to U.S. Census data. Comparatively, there are only 21,184 low-income eligible EdChoice and EdChoice-Exp students this school year. 'There is a lack of supply of schools that accept these dollars, especially in rural communities,' O'Neil said. 'Maybe the numbers aren't capturing lower-income families in rural areas simply because the option is not available.' Nearly 1 million students are participating in the EdChoice-Exp voucher program this school year. Ohio lawmakers will continue to debate school funding budget choices in the House, then the Senate before implementation this summer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rep. Ron Estes talks taxes with Americans For Prosperity while crowd protests outside
U.S. Rep. Ron Estes made a pitch for continuing President Donald Trump's tax cuts to a friendly crowd of about 35 supporters Saturday, as more than 200 people gathered outside to protest Estes, Trump, and billionaire Elon Musk over deep cuts to federal spending and workforce. Estes was the headliner of a meeting at downtown Wichita's Union Station. It was sponsored by Americans For Prosperity, a Republican-supporting political group affiliated with Koch Industries, which advocates for extending tax cuts passed by Congress in 2017 during Trump's first administration. 'What we did with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was, how do we get more money in people's pockets so they can do the things that they want to do with it,' Estes said. But as he and others spoke, clearly audible were the demonstrators outside, honking horns, blowing whistles and chanting 'This is what democracy looks like' and other slogans protesting the Trump administration. Many called on Estes to hold a broad-based town hall meeting, so they could ask questions and vent their frustration over massive spending cuts and firings of government workers spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency, which Musk heads. 'We make phone calls (to Estes' offices), but no one ever calls back,' said Mandy Pilla, a registered nurse who lives in Andover. 'I'm very frustrated that an unelected oligarch (Musk) is meddling in our government, and I don't believe in that.' The AFP event brought together several speakers. The crowd included Sedgwick County Commissioner Jim Howell and county Republican Chairman John Whitmer. The focus of the rally was the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, and the 'necessity of renewing this landmark legislation to continue driving prosperity,' according to the AFP. The act, signed by Trump in January 2018, was the largest tax code overhaul in more than three decades. 'The goal of the one and half trillion-dollar reform bill was to spur economic growth, reduce regulations and create more business-friendly environment for the U.S.,' according to the Bloomberg business news service. 'How do we get the economy to grow?' Estes said. 'Part of that is by making sure that businesses can be able to make investments, that they can make sure they hire more workers and that they can pay their workers. 'What we saw out of that effort, we saw wages go up across the board. . . . All sorts of groups show that they had wage increases after 2017.' The act especially helped small businesses, by allowing them to deduct and not pay taxes on 20% of their business income, Estes said. Several of the act's key provisions, including the small business deductions, are set expire on Dec. 31. 'We don't want to go backwards, we don't want to see an increase in the taxes you have to pay and we don't want to see all of us have a slower economic growth,' Estes said. 'We want to make sure that businesses have the money that they can actually invest in their business and that individuals can keep their money to keep and having in their pockets.' At the same time, protesters swarmed the grounds of Union Station and the nearby Naftzger Park. Some outside said they're worried about planned cuts to federal departments and services, including Medicaid, Veterans Affairs and Education. Others blasted Trump over his withdrawal of support for Ukraine in resisting the Russian invasion. 'I wish I could nail it down to one (cause for protest), but there's just so many,' Pilla said. 'I don't like the fact that there's a felon in the White House, and that he surrounds himself with all these billionaires to make more money. He's taking so many people's way of life — and living — without any forethought.'
