Bernie Sanders to host Lansing rally against tax bill

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders announced he will be stopping in Lansing next week to host a rally urging the repeal of the tax reform bill signed by President Donald Trump.

The event is one of six stops on his Repeal The Trump Tax Tour also hosted by Not One Penny, a progressive coalition opposed to the Republican tax reform plan. Rallies are also planned in Virginia, New Jersey, Alabama, Florida and Wisconsin.

The Lansing rally is planned for 4 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Lansing Center, located at 333 E. Michigan Avenue.

In an email promoting the event, Sanders says Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan have an "extraordinarily cynical" two-step tax plan.

He said step one is looting the treasury and passing massive tax cuts for some of the wealthiest Americans and step two is proposing budget cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security disability and "other programs that are desperately needed by the middle class of this country."

"This 'two step' is nothing less than a major transfer of wealth from middle class and working families to the top 1 percent and large corporations. This is class warfare. Our job now is to bring our people together and fight back against the oligarchic greed that is destroying our country," the email said.

srahal@detroitnews.com