Beware the Republicans' Anti-Parent Tax Plan | Opinion

We know what families are going through because we're living it, too. And right now, instead of helping lower the cost of living, President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are making it more expensive to get by.

Whether it's hundreds of Angelenos packing a town hall or thousands of moms joining zoom meetings on Medicaid and public education, the message constituents are sending is loud and unmistakable: Americans want Trump, Musk, and their billionaire cronies to keep their hands off essential programs working families, small businesses, and our economy count on: health care, education, nutrition, and Social Security.

These last few weeks, as millions of parents scrambled to find receipts and hoped for a tax refund to help them cover rent or groceries, we couldn't help but ask: How much are Trump and Musk paying in taxes this year? The truth is, while we stress over every deduction, they're coasting by paying next to nothing thanks to their 2017 tax breaks. And Congressional Republicans are making it even worse by pushing to renew massive tax breaks for billionaires while they slash working families' hard-earned benefits and derail highly popular, essential programs.

Since Trump took office, it's been painful for working moms and dads, caregivers, and those of us who believe in a fair shot for everyone. DOGE is infiltrating our federal agencies, cutting essential jobs, undermining our health and our kids' education, and jeopardizing food safety—all to set the stage to privatize these agencies and put benefits out of reach for working families.

The Republican agenda is clear: Cut Medicaid; divert education funding to private schools; let caregiving costs skyrocket while care workers remain painfully underpaid; and cripple the economy to help the rich get richer.

But we have a message for them: America's moms and dads will fight back.

Moms and dads reject Republican efforts to disinvest in programs that allow people to go to work, take care of their kids, and contribute to their communities, including early childhood education and childcare. We reject moves to slash funding for programs like Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program that improve maternal and infant health and families' financial stability while lifting our economy.

We support paid family and medical leave, affordable childcare, home-based care, and an expanded Child Tax Credit. These are kitchen-table issues. Investing in families strengthens the economy and gives every child a fair shot in life.

We can advance these key programs simply by making sure the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share of taxes. It's time to stop rewarding greedy billionaires and start investing in the working families that keep our country and economy running.

Rep. Jimmy Gomez is founder of the Congressional Dads Caucus and has been representing California's 34th congressional district since 2017. Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner is founder and executive director of MomsRising, the million-member online and on-the-ground organization with members in every state.

The views expressed in this article are the writers' own.