So, you don’t like the recently passed Republican tax reform bill? You have been told that the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and according to Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi “sick children” like Tiny Tim from “A Christmas Carol” are now at risk, thanks to the Republican lawmakers who passed the tax reform legislation. But as in all things political, those who yell the most, and whose hysteria carries the day does not actually determine the facts. One’s unwavering support or dogged opposition means very little to reality.
It is almost impossible to find a truly objective analysis of the recently passed tax reform bill, affectionately called “The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.” Aside from the fact that the law’s name hardly rolls off your tongue, the law is not perfect, but it is also not the monster the Democratic leadership claims it to be. It is almost exactly what was promised during the 2016 Presidential Election. The positioning and passage of this law should surprise no one.
The simple truth is that a majority of the Republican candidates that ran for president in 2016 had committed to the exact same policies as President Trump and the current congressional majority is enacting with the passage of this law. The GOP for the most part is doing exactly what the base wanted, what the economy needs (certainty), and what the middle-class, for at least two decades, has been asking for. Had any one of the leading Republican candidates won the 2016 election, including Cruz, Rubio, Walker, Christie, Fiorina (with the exceptions of Kasich, Graham, and Bush), the legislative and regulatory landscape would look the same. Thus no one, whether in support or opposition to these policies, should be surprised. For those on the extreme far-Left that mocked the Republican presidential field as a “clown car,” guess who is getting the last laugh?
The utter hysteria regarding the passage of this tax reform measure is laughably nauseating. The extreme far- Left, and their media allies, have conveniently moved on from the “clown car” analogies, shifting to their other old stand-by, divisive and inflammatory language. By referring to this tax law as “immoral,” “an act of violence,” “looting and wholesale robbery of the middle-class,” the Democratic leaders have indicated that they have no new, fresh ideas, and that they learned nothing from the last election. All the Democratic leadership has is tired “us against them”, divide and conquer playbook. The first mid-term, federal election after a presidential campaign tends to favor the party out of power, but trust me when I say that this approach by the Democratic leadership may motivate the base, but does nothing to advance a cogent, honest debate on factual issues truly affecting all Americans.
Is this a perfect bill? Nope. However, a casual look at most objective analysis of this tax reform law is that 87 percent of Americans will see a lower tax bill. This tax reform law also provides for those key factors that grow the economy, and strengthen the middle-class: promoting investment capital necessary for economic expansion, providing lower taxes to help promote corporate expansion (more jobs, wage competition), pushing innovations for new products and new ideas (which requires an expanded and diverse workforce), and establishing certainty (lack of clarity and certainty stifle investment, deterring growth). But if one were to listen to some Democratic leaders, you’ll hear that many in the middle-class will see at tax increase. In 2025, that is true, but the devil is in the details.
Recently Senator Bernie Sanders stated that the reason he did not support the tax bill was because the tax relief provided to the middle-class with this reform will stop in 2025. When Nancy Pelosi said that “86 million American – working middle class – families will have their taxes raised,” she purposely omitted the 2025 date. Why are the Democrats either omitting the year 2025 from the conversation, or misrepresenting the facts entirely? Pelosi and Sanders are right; in 2025 the newly established tax relief for the middle-class expires, unless Congress extends them. So the question you may want to ask Pelosi, Sanders, and any politician running for office (especially if they make this misleading claim) – “Are you opposed to extending the tax relief when they expire in 2025?” Hold their feet to the fire, and watch how quickly they distance themselves from this misrepresentation.
Now, to be fair, the Republicans have indulged in their own embellishments as well, but nowhere near the dishonesty that the Democratic leadership has been using. No, you are not going to be able to submit your tax return on a postcard, nor did they reduce and simplify the tax brackets (7 brackets, confusing deduction patterns). Yes, potentially inflated economic numbers were used, and this tax reform will add at least $1 trillion to our current $22 trillion liability (if not more). No this is not the “biggest tax cut in U.S. history,” but it is pretty close and is exactly what our economy needs to grow. This was what every member of the GOP pledged in 2016. Isn’t that what we want from politicians, to honor their promises?
What part of Nov. 8, 2016 did you not get? Most in the media were wrong about Trump and the GOP throughout the election. Most Democrats could not contain their glee, and throughout the election cycle they convinced themselves that Hillary was going to win easily. The mindset that led to Hillary’s defeat has not gone away. Democratic leadership is convinced that the tax bill will mean the destruction of the GOP. I am not ready to make any predictions regarding the 2018 mid-term elections, but if there was at least one lesson that the Democratic leadership should have learned from 2016, it was that you abandoned the middle-class, and it will take more than advancing a polluted dialogue that does nothing but spread class envy and division to recapture the majority.
The legislative and regulatory focus by the elected GOP also explains why many self-identified Republicans support President Trump, even those that did not support him during the primary. Trump is the means to an end, just as Hillary Clinton would have been for Berniecrats, those Democrats that held their nose, set aside their integrity, and pulled the lever for one of the most corrupt presidential candidates in recent history. The Democratic leadership underestimated Trump’s base in 2016, and now they appear to be doing it again. 2018 will most likely be another shameful, political spectacle.
My suggestion to those seeking the facts on this tax reform law is move outside your comfort zone and stop listening to the political rhetoric, frankly from both sides. Research the bill from credible, unbiased resources. You will find some things you like about the law, and also some things you might not like.
However, if you remain true to the goal of honest fact finding, you will find that almost all Americans will benefit from this tax relief, and that “Tiny Tim” will be just fine, regardless of what bombastic misinformation Pelosi spews.
