Iowa Republican Congressmen David Young and Rod Blum will start feeling the pressure for their votes on a tax bill that targeted huge breaks to the wealthiest Americans this week. Not One Penny, a progressive coalition group formed earlier this year to push back against Republicans’ tax plans, will start running ads in Iowa criticizing the two for raising taxes on the middle class. It’s part of a national seven-figure ad buy to hold members of Congress accountable for their votes.

“David Young voted for the Republican tax plan to raises taxes on middle class families,” the narrator says on the Young ad. “AARP says it will result in a $25 billion cut to Medicare.”

The ad running against Blum (which note that Blum is personally worth $8 million) highlights how the legislation eliminates the medical expense deduction.

The group’s goal was to force the Republican-led Congress to give “not one penny in tax cuts for the rich.” The recently-passed legislation gives quite a few pennies (and then some) in breaks to the richest people in America, while it eliminates many tax write-offs for the working class, students and parents. So, they’re looking to increase the fallout for Republicans who voted for it. Both Blum and Young face tough reelection efforts in Iowa’s 1st and 3rd Districts.

“Representatives Blum and Young continue to blindly support tax legislation that is nothing more than a giveaway to millionaires, billionaires, and wealthy corporations,” said Not One Penny Spokesman Tim Hogan in a statement. “Republicans are looting the middle class in order to line the pocket of the wealthy and well-connected. As the focus once again turns to the House, Representatives Blum and Young should stand up for their constituents instead of their wealthy donors and vote against this harmful legislation.”

A poll by PPP released today showed that 50% of voters in Blum’s district opposed the GOP tax bill, including 39% overall who strongly opposed it. Just 44% were in favor, while a full 61% of respondents think the legislation would benefit the wealthiest the most.

Here’s the ad that targets Blum:

by Pat Rynard

Posted 11/4/17