The House today gave a significant boost to President Donald Trump's promise to cut taxes, narrowly passing a GOP budget that shelves longstanding concerns over federal deficits in favor of a rewrite of the tax code that Republicans promise will jump-start the economy.
The 216-212 vote permits Republicans to begin work on a follow-up USD 1.5 trillion tax cut and move it through Congress without fear of blocking tactics by Democrats. The tax bill is the top item on the GOP agenda, would be Trump's first major win in Congress and, Republicans hope, a much- needed boost for the party's political fortunes on the eve of next year's midterm elections.
GOP leaders scrambled in recent days to overcame opposition from House conservatives unhappy about deficits and debt, and lawmakers from high-tax states such as New York and New Jersey, who are upset about plans to curb the state and local tax deduction.
The Senate passed the measure last week and the House endorsed it without changes, a step designed to allow Republicans to move quickly to the tax measure in hopes of passing it into law this year.
"Big news, Budget just passed," tweeted Trump.
Republicans view passage of the upcoming tax measure as a career-defining dream, and its importance has only grown in the wake of the party's debacle on health care. But the tax plan's popularity is not a given with voters, and fissures among Republicans already threaten to slow the measure.
Twenty Republicans opposed the measure, a mix of spending hawks and centrists. Several lawmakers from New York and New Jersey who supported the House plan earlier this month opposed the measure over worries about the state and local tax deduction.
"This isn't over," said Rep Tom MacArthur, R-N J Battles over the state and local tax deduction and tax-free contributions to retirement accounts have already broken open, and Republican tax writers have yet to lock down dozens of crucial details on tax rates and preferences.
The underlying budget measure abandons the Republican Party's longstanding promise to rein in deficits in favor of Trump's boast of "massive tax cuts." The measure drops proposed cuts to mandatory programs such as food stamps, though conservatives promise to take on spending cuts later.
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