Washington—Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris (both D-Calif.) today issued the following joint statement in response to the House Republican tax reform bill that eliminates the deduction for personal losses from wildfires, earthquakes and other natural disasters, while preserving them for recent hurricanes:

“After the worst fire season in California history, it’s unbelievable that Republicans are considering eliminating the tax deduction for losses suffered during a natural disaster. Asking victims of wildfires or earthquakes to suffer in order to pay for tax cuts for the rich is the height of cruelty.

“During the recent wildfires, 43 people were killed and nearly 8,900 buildings destroyed, resulting in billions of dollars in damages. Under the Republican plan, families who lose everything in a similar disaster in the future would be unable to write off those losses.

“The Republican plan also allows the victims of recent hurricanes to keep special tax breaks but doesn’t offer those same benefits to families trying to rebuild from last month’s wildfires. Our tax code shouldn’t pick winners and losers in natural disasters.

“This is just another example of the extraordinary lengths Republicans will go to cut taxes for wealthy corporations and individuals at the expense of middle-class families. We urge the Senate Finance committee to reject this absurd proposal and not include it in the Senate’s tax reform bill. Americans want a tax code that helps those in need, not just the rich.”

###