Washington Post: Precision Sacrificed For Speed As GOP Rushes Ahead On Taxes
Republican leaders can repeat the words regular order until they are blue in the face, but a look at the process they are pursuing to jam the GOP tax scam through Congress shows it’s anything but and their rush to pass a bill means it is riddled with errors and “questionable special-interest provisions.” Today’s Washington Post examines how the breakneck pace means no one actually knows what’s in the bill and it will be full of surprises – and errors – when the conference report is filed. Read thehighlights here:
“Republicans are moving their tax plan toward final passage at stunning speed, blowing past Democrats before they’ve had time to fully mobilize against it but leaving the measure vulnerable to the types of expensive problems popping up in their massive and complex plan.”
“Questionable special-interest provisions have been stuffed in along the way, out of public view and in some cases literally in the dead of night. Drafting errors by exhausted staff are cropping up and need fixes, which must be tackled by congressional negotiators working to reconcile competing versions of the legislation passed separately by the House and the Senate.”
“And the melding process underway has opened the door to another frenzy of 11th-hour lobbying as special interests, including President Trump’s rich friends, make one last dash for cash before the final bill speeds through both chambers of Congress and onto Trump’s desk. Passage is expected the week before Christmas.”
“‘I think it would have looked better if we had taken more time and had more transparency, had more open committee hearings,’ said freshman Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.).”
“…If Trump signs the bill as planned before Christmas, that would mean a journey of less than two months between introduction and final passage.”
“It’s all part of a breakneck pace of the tax plan that contrasts with the nearly a year-and-a-half that passed between when Reagan unveiled his initial version of the 1986 tax plan and its ultimate passage into law.”
“Many lobbyists, Democrats and other observers expect to find the final version of the plan, which could be filed late this week, just as full of surprises as the various iterations that have appeared. But as they gun for a legislative win that has eluded them this year, Republicans show little interest in slowing down to take a closer look.”
“Questionable special-interest provisions have been stuffed in along the way, out of public view and in some cases literally in the dead of night. Drafting errors by exhausted staff are cropping up and need fixes, which must be tackled by congressional negotiators working to reconcile competing versions of the legislation passed separately by the House and the Senate.”
“And the melding process underway has opened the door to another frenzy of 11th-hour lobbying as special interests, including President Trump’s rich friends, make one last dash for cash before the final bill speeds through both chambers of Congress and onto Trump’s desk. Passage is expected the week before Christmas.”
“‘I think it would have looked better if we had taken more time and had more transparency, had more open committee hearings,’ said freshman Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.).”
“…If Trump signs the bill as planned before Christmas, that would mean a journey of less than two months between introduction and final passage.”
“It’s all part of a breakneck pace of the tax plan that contrasts with the nearly a year-and-a-half that passed between when Reagan unveiled his initial version of the 1986 tax plan and its ultimate passage into law.”
“Many lobbyists, Democrats and other observers expect to find the final version of the plan, which could be filed late this week, just as full of surprises as the various iterations that have appeared. But as they gun for a legislative win that has eluded them this year, Republicans show little interest in slowing down to take a closer look.”