How the Tax Code Makes the Racial Wealth Gap Worse

Earlier this week, the Department of the Treasury released its report, Disparities in the Benefits of Tax Expenditures by Race and Ethnicity, which outlines the differences in how tax deductions impact White, Black, and Hispanic families. The results show a troubling trend: there are clear disparities in how tax benefits and expenditures impact different racial and ethnic groups, and a significant amount of tax breaks … Continue reading How the Tax Code Makes the Racial Wealth Gap Worse »

Demanding Change at Davos

As the rich and powerful have gathered this week in Davos for the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Annual Meeting, there has been a lot of talk about how to make the world a better place. Davos attendees, from world leaders to billionaires, have made a massive show of how they will build “Cooperation in a Fragmented World,” as the title of this year’s gathering is … Continue reading Demanding Change at Davos »

House Republicans Want to Protect Wealthy Tax Cheats

As the new House GOP majority tries over and over again to elect a Speaker, the already-glaring dysfunction of the 118th Congress is hard to miss. But as we watch the GOP caucus fight amongst itself and paralyze our government, we should be preparing for something even worse – House Republicans working together. They may disagree on who should be their leader, but House Republicans … Continue reading House Republicans Want to Protect Wealthy Tax Cheats »

Happy Holidays!

We’d like to wish you all a happy holiday season from everyone here at the Patriotic Millionaires. It’s been a long and eventful year, so we’d like to commemorate it by looking back over some of the main events, praising those who did good for our nation, and calling out those who did bad. For this final Roundup before the end of the year, let’s … Continue reading Happy Holidays! »

Don’t Trust Billionaire Philanthropy

As we come to the end of the year, we enter a time when people, full of holiday spirit, are giving more than ever. This goes for billionaires as well. But unlike the donations of regular Americans, billionaires aren’t dropping a few dollars into a donation bucket at the grocery store or giving to their local soup kitchen. Billionaires donate millions, but their generosity always … Continue reading Don’t Trust Billionaire Philanthropy »

The Fight for Union Rights Is Heating Up

Just a few hours ago, the Senate sided with billionaire rail owners over rail unions in their ongoing contract dispute. After urging from President Biden, Congress passed a bill that legally forces rail unions to accept an agreement that many of them have voted against, saying it is inadequate and does not provide enough paid sick leave. This is a massive blow to the tens of thousands … Continue reading The Fight for Union Rights Is Heating Up »

Billionaire Campaign Spending is Out of Control

American billionaires spent $880 million on the midterm elections by the end of October, with the final total spent likely approaching an astronomical $1 billion. That’s a game-changing amount of money, and with the lion’s share of it going to Republican candidates and groups, the billionaires were confident they would be able to get their money’s worth. Fortunately for most regular Americans, a “red wave” was largely … Continue reading Billionaire Campaign Spending is Out of Control »

Republicans Are Campaigning on Protecting Wealthy Tax Criminals

When Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) over the summer, they were expecting it to be a major factor in their favor in the upcoming midterm elections. They probably weren’t expecting that Republicans would also see the IRA as an opportunity to help win elections. In recent weeks, Republican candidates for the House and Senate have spent millions on ads targeting the IRA, in which they single out … Continue reading Republicans Are Campaigning on Protecting Wealthy Tax Criminals »

Reframing the Inflation Debate

The federal government is making a huge mistake in its fight against inflation. We’ve talked a lot about inflation recently, and how important it is for the government to help working people provide for themselves and their families as prices continue to rise. But we haven’t talked much about the one thing the federal government is actually doing to fight inflation – raising interest rates … Continue reading Reframing the Inflation Debate »

A Republican Congress Would Serve The Rich

Republicans have been busy in recent months cooking up plans for exactly what they want to accomplish if they retake Congress in the upcoming elections. It should come as no surprise that those plans are exactly what we’ve come to expect from the GOP for decades – tax breaks for the rich elite, crumbs for regular Americans, and the slashing of benefits and social services … Continue reading A Republican Congress Would Serve The Rich »

Fighting Inequality at the State Level

We talk a lot about the American economy and the effect that decisions made by the federal government have on the lives and well-being of Americans all across the country. Because of that, it can be easy at times to think of the fight for economic justice as a purely national issue, something that just happens in Washington or in Congress and the White House. … Continue reading Fighting Inequality at the State Level »

America Should Reward Workers, Not the Rich

In the days following Labor Day, a time to celebrate all that American workers have done for the prosperity of our nation, the undue power that the rich hold over our country has become all the more glaring. The ultra-rich would have you believe otherwise, but it’s important to remember that our nation is great because of the contributions of everyday, hardworking Americans – not … Continue reading America Should Reward Workers, Not the Rich »

Corporations Are Not Your Friend

We’re living in a time of enormous economic uncertainty, both good and bad. From a potential recession to a resurgence of labor rights activism to high inflation to a revamped IRS budget, it’s hard to know what to expect for our future and what to expect from the different actors within our economy. But if one thing is certain, it’s this: ultra-rich individuals and corporations … Continue reading Corporations Are Not Your Friend »

The IRA – Fact vs. Fiction

It’s been just over 48 hours since President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law, and Republican pundits and lawmakers are already making it Target #1 in their efforts to take back Congress this November. Despite the fact that the IRA is a fantastic piece of legislation that makes our climate, healthcare system, and tax code better, conservatives want the American people to … Continue reading The IRA – Fact vs. Fiction »

Sinema’s Defense of Carried Interest is Indefensible

After endless negotiations to get Senator Joe Manchin on board with a compromised reconciliation package, the Inflation Reduction Act is now in peril thanks to Arizona Senator (and notorious corporate shill) Kyrsten Sinema. As Democrats scramble to finalize details of the bill, reports indicate that Sinema is demanding Democrats strip provisions that would limit the scope of the carried interest loophole, which allows wealthy private … Continue reading Sinema’s Defense of Carried Interest is Indefensible »

The Economy is Bad. Congress Needs to Fix It

It’s been a big week for economic news. From drama in Congress over the Build Back Better negotiations to continued economic strife affecting working Americans to new tax benefits offered to the rich, our economy is steadily moving in further favor of the wealthy, and the federal government appears ill-equipped to rise to the occasion. This week, we’ll look into how our current economy, policies, … Continue reading The Economy is Bad. Congress Needs to Fix It »

Don’t Fall for Deficit Fear-Mongering

When we hear talk in Congress of investing in infrastructure or funding social services, the proposals always go hand in hand with squawking from deficit hawks. Republicans and even conservative Democrats (including notoriously recalcitrant Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia) fret about how spending money on improving our country will bring ruin by contributing to the national debt.  They’re wrong. The truth is that fears … Continue reading Don’t Fall for Deficit Fear-Mongering »

The Supreme Court is Wrong on Campaign Finance

If recent years have taught us anything, it’s that our democracy is fragile and needs to be protected. But earlier this week, the Supreme Court did the opposite. The Court ruled on Monday in a case involving Texas Senator Ted Cruz that campaign donors should be allowed to replenish political candidates’ personal wealth after election campaigns have concluded. This decision effectively opens politicians up to … Continue reading The Supreme Court is Wrong on Campaign Finance »

Facing Inflation, Congress Must Raise the Minimum Wage

Nearly everyone is feeling the effects of inflation these days. With an 8.5% inflation rate over the last year, prices are rising in almost every sector of our economy, and millions of American families are having a harder time affording the essentials. While this is a widespread crisis, it’s one that is particularly devastating for our nation’s low-wage workers. The federal minimum wage currently sits … Continue reading Facing Inflation, Congress Must Raise the Minimum Wage »