Senate Passes Brown’s Bill to Fix GOP Tax Bill Provision That Raised Taxes for Gold Star Families

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Senate passed U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s (D-OH) bipartisan legislation to fix a provision in last year’s Republican Tax Bill that raised taxes on Gold Star Families. The term “Gold Star” describes a family who has lost a family member in the line of military service. After Republicans jammed through the hastily put together tax bill that cut taxes for corporations, they failed to address the fact that the bill raised taxes on Gold Star Families. Brown believes we need to repeal the entire bill and start over on a middle-class tax plan that puts working families first, but this is a small way of ensuring the loved ones of a fallen soldier are not penalized under the new GOP tax code. 

“Gold Star families have sacrificed so much for this country and nothing should get in the way of providing them with the support they need,” said Senator Brown. “The last thing they need is a new tax hike from the same law that slashed tax bills for corporations.” 

The GOP’s tax bill last year prioritized lowering the corporate tax rate but caused higher taxes on many hardworking Americans, including those collecting military survivor benefits. This bipartisan legislation addresses the tax treatment of survivor benefits.

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