{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-non-profit-leaders-warn-that-house-and-senate-passed-tax-plan-could-harm-non-profits_the-people-they-serve", "Reed, Non-Profit Leaders Warn that House & Senate-Passed Tax Plan Could Harm Non-Profits & the People They Serve", "2017-12-11", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "RI", "Jack Reed", "R000122", "www.reed.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12/11/2017\u00a0\u2014\u00a0PROVIDENCE, RI \u2013 The holidays are supposed to be a season of giving, but the partisan, corporations-first tax plan moving its way through Congress is making this a taxing time for many non-profits and charitable organizations.\r\nToday, U.S. Senator Reed joined with non-profit leaders from the United Way of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Foundation to warn that that the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate-passed tax bills would end up taking resources from the non-profit sector and could harm charitable organizations and the people they serve.\r\nReed noted that the Republican tax changes will treat corporations better than individuals, boost the deficit by at least $1.5 trillion, jeopardize economic growth, and force many middle-class families to pay more.\u00a0 Both the House-passed and Senate-passed tax bills contain provisions that could also cause a significant reduction to charitable giving in Rhode Island and nationwide, negatively impacting non-profits\u2019 ability to help feed, educate, shelter, and nurture those in need.\r\n\u201cThe Republican tax bill is tax malpractice of the highest order.\u00a0 It is not helping middle-class families, it\u2019s not making us more productive, and by its own terms the deficit goes up with no real benefits for the bulk of Americans,\u201d said Senator Reed.\u00a0 \u201cOne of the most disturbing aspects of this bill is the conscious effort to deny resources to our non-profit sector.\u00a0 If this bill becomes law, it\u2019s very likely we will see charitable giving go down.\u00a0 Everything we should be doing to help people we\u2019ll see less of, and it\u2019s going to ultimately hurt individuals and communities.\u00a0 This tax bill isn\u2019t about the middle-class or helping increase wages, this is about getting money to the richest people through the tax system.\u201d\r\n\u201cWe speak today on behalf of the thousands of people who will need help.\u00a0 Not just now, but especially in the future\u201d said United Way of Rhode Island President & CEO Anthony Maione.\u00a0 \u201cWhile people give for many different reasons, the charitable deduction has been proven to incentivize giving.\u00a0 We would look forward to a revised tax bill that would allow us to keep that.\u201d\r\n\u201cThe biggest concern we have is the gap between those in need and those with resources, and what we\u2019re going to see is that gap is going to grow,\u201d said Rhode Island Foundation President & CEO Neil D. Steinberg.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019ll be more people in need, there\u2019ll be more organizations that need support, and the incentives and resources will go down.\u00a0 Unfortunately, while philanthropy can do a lot, it can\u2019t step in for all of the government cuts that are coming with this bill.\u201d\r\nCurrently, the tax code encourages charitable giving by individuals who itemize their expenses.\u00a0 In 2016, individuals accounted for nearly three-quarters of charitable giving in the United States, providing over $281.8 billion to charities and non-profits.\u00a0 However, proposed changes to the tax code could take away incentives for individuals and households to donate.\r\nIndiana University\u2019s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy recently released a study estimating that if Republican changes to tax deductions went into effect, total nationwide charitable giving would be reduced by $13.1 billion.\r\nThe tax bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives also includes language repealing the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits non-profits from donating to political campaigns or endorsing candidates.\u00a0 Ending the Johnson Amendment could pressure many non-profits to give to political candidates, siphoning away money that should be directed to helping people.\u00a0 It would also enable political organizations and secret money groups like Citizens United to qualify for the same tax-exempt status as churches and other places of worship.\r\n\u201cNon-profits should serve communities, not political candidates.\u00a0 The changes in this law could significantly damage the integrity of non-profits and reduce transparency in politics,\u201d stated Reed.\u00a0 \u201cCongress should help, not hinder non-profits and charities.\u00a0 We need real, responsible tax reform that actually helps the middle-class and working families.\u00a0 We need targeted tax incentives that will lead to real job and wage growth, not just stock buy-backs to pad corporate bottom lines.\u201d\r\n*Watch video of the event on Facebook Live*\r\n\r\n\u00a0\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-non-profit-leaders-warn-that-house-and-senate-passed-tax-plan-could-harm-non-profits_the-people-they-serve"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6147070564329624, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}