Non-military households would pay a "war tax" to help cover the health care of veterans of newly-authorized wars under a plan Beto O'Rourke's campaign unveiled Monday.
The former Texas congressman and 2020 Democratic presidential contender's proposal is part of a series of health and economic measures aimed at improving care for veterans.
O'Rourke is in Tampa on Monday for a veterans' roundtable, where he is expected to discuss his plan for the first time. It comes before the Democratic field holds its first debate Wednesday and Thursday nights in Miami.
O'Rourke is also calling for an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, with half the money currently being spent there redirected to programs for veterans of those wars.
Money collected through the "war tax" -- which he is proposing for future wars -- would go into a new trust fund for veterans established at the outset of each war.
Households making less than $30,000 per year would pay $25; those making less than $40,000 would pay $57; those making less than $50,000 would pay $98; those making less than $75,000 would pay $164; those making less than $100,000 would pay $270; those making less than $200,000 would pay $485; and those making more than $200,000 would pay $1,000.
"This new tax would serve as a reminder of the incredible sacrifice made by those who serve and their families," O'Rourke's plan says. O'Rourke had introduced legislation in 2016 and 2017, while he was in the US House of Representatives, to create the same "war tax" and trust funds for veterans of future wars.
The idea is not a new one: Prior to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the United States had historically levied additional taxes in times of war. Under former President Lyndon B. Johnson, Congress enacted an income tax surcharge that meant taxpayers eventually owed 10% more. A group of House Democrats sought a similar tax in the mid-2000s, but were unsuccessful.