Category: US Senate

How the oldest Senate ever is taking a toll on the business of Washington

The following article by Paul Kane was posted on the Washington Post website December 16, 2017:

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), 81, at the Capitol earlier this month. (Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post)

In November, Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, who is 83, was at the helm when the Senate’s massive tax bill came through the Finance Committee. But Hatch also deputized four younger Republicans on the panel to serve as de facto co-chairmen over various parts of the legislation.

This week, with a compromise bill marching toward final passage in both chambers, the House has to vote first — because a pair of senators, Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), are recuperating from, respectively, non-melanoma skin surgery and the side effects of cancer treatments.

Hatch’s advisers say his move demonstrates a keen sense of coalition building, and aides and friends to Cochran, 80, and McCain, 81, contend that their bosses should be back in the Senate before long. Continue reading “How the oldest Senate ever is taking a toll on the business of Washington”

Homeowners Have Had It Good. Too Good, Says the Tax Bill.

The following article by Conor Dougherty was posted on the New York Times website December 16, 2017:

Politicians from both parties have championed homeownership over the years, but economists see downsides in the tax preferences that have resulted. Credit Caitlin O’Hara/Bloomberg

For decades, the tax code has been filled with rewards for homeownership. Tax breaks encourage people to get into first homes and to trade up as they get older, building a national mind-set that you’re never quite middle class until you’ve qualified for a mortgage.

It amounts to a vast social engineering project that assumes society is better off with owners instead of renters. But the tax bill making its way toward final passage is upending that premise.

The bill will increase many homeowners’ monthly housing costs by scaling back deductions that allow them to reduce mortgage interest and property taxes. And by roughly doubling the standard deduction, it reduces the incentive to buy homes by making far fewer homeowners eligible for preferential tax treatment. Continue reading “Homeowners Have Had It Good. Too Good, Says the Tax Bill.”

Sen. Susan Collins takes huge leap of faith with tax bill. Critics say she’s getting played.

The following article by Erica Werner was posted on the Washington Post website December 15, 2017:

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) extracted concessions on health-care in exchange for her support for the GOP tax bill. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters)

As GOP tax legislation nears final passage on Capitol Hill, Sen. Susan Collins is approaching the moment for a mighty leap of faith.

The Maine Republican extracted key concessions in exchange for her support for the bill, including commitments from the Trump administration and Senate leaders to back two pieces of legislation pumping money into the health-care system.

The problem is, House Republicans largely oppose the health-care bills. And while Collins anticipates that the commitments will be included in must-pass spending legislation to keep the government open, the tax package is scheduled for a final vote next week, before the spending measure. Continue reading “Sen. Susan Collins takes huge leap of faith with tax bill. Critics say she’s getting played.”

The essential tradeoff in the Republican tax bill, in one chart

The following article by Andrew Van Dam was posted on the Washington Post website December 16, 2017:

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) speaks at the introduction of House Republicans’ tax reform proposal on June 24, 2016. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Republicans are paying for a permanent cut for corporations with an under-the-radar tax increase on individuals.

Senate rules require the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act not to add to the federal deficit after 10 years. Failing to meet that window would result in legislative defenestration, as it would require 60 votes in a Senate that has only 52 Republicans.

The bill aims to cut corporate taxes in perpetuity, under the theory that to do anything less would be to create uncertainty for corporations. But to do so and still have the bill not be a money loser after a decade, they need to raise extra funds somewhere. Continue reading “The essential tradeoff in the Republican tax bill, in one chart”

The final GOP tax bill is complete. Here’s what is in it.

The following article by Heather Long was posted on the Washington Post website December 15, 2017:

After threatening to vote “no” on the GOP tax bill, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) pledged their support when the bill was finalized. (Video: Jenny Starrs/Photo: Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

Republicans were joyful Friday as they finalized their tax plan, bridging differences between the House and Senate bills and moving another step closer to getting legislation to President Trump by Christmas.

They also appear to have locked down the votes they need to pass the measure through the House and Senate after Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) pledged their support. Continue reading “The final GOP tax bill is complete. Here’s what is in it.”

GOP Tax Bill Signed, Nearly Sealed and Delivered

The following article by Ryan McCrimmon was posted on the Roll Call website December 15, 2017:

Senate Finance Chairman Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, left, and House Ways and Means Chairman Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, conduct the Senate-House Conference Committee meeting on the GOP tax bill. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Republican tax writers signed off Friday on a compromise plan to overhaul the tax code, bringing House and Senate negotiations to a close and setting up final votes on the legislation early next week.

The tax conference agreement was set to be released Friday at 5:30 p.m. Some key details are already known, like a proposed corporate tax rate of 21 percent; a top individual rate of 37 percent; and a 20 percent deduction for “pass-through” business income.

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said the proposed tax changes for individuals will expire after 2025, as in the Senate-passed version. Continue reading “GOP Tax Bill Signed, Nearly Sealed and Delivered”

The Finance 202: Rubio’s last stand highlights tax bill’s corporate skew

The following article byTory Newmyer was posted on the Washington Post website December 15, 2017:

Credit: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). (Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images)

At worst for Republicans, Sen. Marco Rubio’s opposition to their tax package sinks the bill. If he remains opposed, as does, say, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), only one more Republican defection would mean failure. Much more likely, leaders reach an accommodation with the Florida Republican that satisfies his demand for expanding the child tax credit.

But at best, Rubio’s last stand is ensuring the tax debate concludes on a politically sour note for his party. His gripe, after all, is with the measure’s stinginess toward the working class even as it strains at the seams with goodies for corporations and the wealthy.  Continue reading “The Finance 202: Rubio’s last stand highlights tax bill’s corporate skew”

Inequality on Apple’s doorstep: how the GOP tax bill could worsen the divide

The following article by Sam Levin was posted on the Guardian website December 15, 2017:

In Cupertino, the world’s most valuable company could reap enormous benefits from Republicans’ plan – even as the measure threatens sorely needed affordable housing and healthcare benefits for local residents

Hector Chavez and Yvonne Scott: ‘Money has not trickled down to us.’
Photograph: Sam Levin for the Guardian

Yvonne Scott feels like she’s trapped in a cell. The 65-year-old and her husband, Hector Chavez, 60, have been living in their car for nearly a year since they were evicted, parking each night in church and grocery store lots in the shadows of Silicon Valley.

“It’s like being incarcerated, being enclosed. You can’t move freely. No bathroom,” Scott said. “It’s dangerous. We don’t belong in a vehicle.” Continue reading “Inequality on Apple’s doorstep: how the GOP tax bill could worsen the divide”

2018 Congressional Calendar: Senators Plan More Work Days Than House

NOTE:  The calendar at the end of this article can help us know when and where to contact Rep. Erik Paulsen.

The following article by the CQ Staff was posted on the Roll Call website December 7, 2017:

Both chambers have released their schedules for next year

Both the House and Senate have released their chambers’ plans for gaveling in during 2018. Roll Call combined those schedules into the calendar below.

Both chambers will return for the second session of the 115th Congress on Wednesday, Jan. 3. The House plans to be out of town for three full weeks ahead of Election Day on Nov. 6 (and four weeks total around the election), while the Senate plans to recess for two weeks around the midterm.  Continue reading “2018 Congressional Calendar: Senators Plan More Work Days Than House”

Republicans Continue to Neglect the Priorities of the American People To Give Tax Cuts to the Wealthy

The following is from an email update from Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer dated December 15, 2017:

This week, Republicans spent another week neglecting the priorities of the American people while holding secret, back-room negotiations over their bill that cuts taxes for the wealthiest Americans and corporations while increasing taxes on millions of middle-class households. This bill adds $1.7 trillion to the national debt over the next ten years and will trigger a $25 billion cut in Medicare next year. It comes as no surprise that poll after poll shows the bill is deeply unpopular, and I will continue to call on Republicans to abandon this bill and work with Democrats to write bipartisan and revenue-neutral tax reform that benefits middle-class families. Continue reading “Republicans Continue to Neglect the Priorities of the American People To Give Tax Cuts to the Wealthy”