Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke released his new proposal to tax non-military families via Twitter on Monday.
O’Rourke’s “war tax” would require American families who make over $200,000 a year to pay $1,000 for each war embarked on by the United States. Military families would be exempt from the tax.
The tax “would serve as a reminder of the incredible sacrifice made by those who serve and their families,” the proposal reads. It does not specify the types of military engagement that would constitute a war under the tax.
Funds from the "war tax" would be deposited into a veteran's health care trust fund.
O’Rourke, who served on the House Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs committees, introduced the tax under his comprehensive plan for veterans entitled “Caring For Our Nation’s Veterans.” Other parts of the presidential hopeful’s plan include ending both wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, establishing a veteran’s health care trust fund for every war the United States enters, modernizing the VA, addressing mental health, ensuring equal treatment of women and LGBTQ+ veterans, and preventing veteran homelessness.
In his tweet announcing the plan, O’Rourke said that “This country must be willing to pay any price and bear any burden to provide the full care, support, and resources to every single veteran who served every single one of us.”
This country must be willing to pay any price and bear any burden to provide the full care, support, and resources to every single veteran who served every single one of us.
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) June 24, 2019
My new plan will ensure that we finally do.
Take a look: https://t.co/Ym9wIkwE5b
O'Rourke's proposal comes after he has been lagging in the polls in recent weeks. He currently receives 4 percent support among likely Democratic primary voters.