Democratic Rep. Joseph Crowley (N.Y.) on Tuesday contradicted House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's (D., Calif.) description of the bonuses that companies have given workers due to the Republican tax reform law as "crumbs," saying $1,000 is not "chump change."
Fox Business host Neil Cavuto noted to Crowley that Pelosi and other Democrats have derided the GOP tax overhaul by arguing companies' $1,000 bonuses to employees after the plan became law are "chump change, or a waste of time, or it really doesn't add up to much."
Pelosi has called the bonuses "crumbs" several times in recent weeks, a talking point that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) has echoed as well.
"A lot of people have been saying that sounds very elitist," Cavuto added. "What do you think?"
"I don't think $1,000 is sort of chump change to somebody who's making $40,000," Crowley said. "What I do question is whether or not those bonuses were planned regardless of the passage of the tax bill."
"You don't think they would have handed them out without it, do you?" Cavuto asked
"Well, it’s hard to say," Crowley responded. "We won't know."
"Half of them have indicated that the tax cuts were the reason," Cavuto noted.
"Well, we'll take them at their word," Crowley responded, adding that the tax benefits for individuals will end in five years while they are permanent for corporations.
"It's nice that they're [companies] doing it this year, but what will they do next year or the year after that, or six, seven, or eight years from now?" Crowley asked. "I think those are the questions we'll be looking to see as Democrats."
Since President Donald Trump signed the GOP tax overhaul into law in December, dozens of companies have announced that they will invest more in their workers—in the form of bonuses, higher wages, or other benefits.