Dec. 19, 2017
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House voted for a major overhaul of the American tax code on Tuesday afternoon, a measure that, if also approved by the U.S. Senate, would mark the first significant legislative achievement of the Republican-controlled government under President Donald Trump.
The House passed a compromise bill hammered out between the two chambers on a 227-203 vote. The 36-member Texas delegation vote fell along strict partisan lines.
But after a celebratory afternoon, House GOP leaders abruptly announced Tuesday evening that they expected Senate Democrats to push back on the bill for violating some of the upper chamber’s parliamentary rules.
As a result, the House is expected to have to vote again on a similar bill in the morning. The changes are not expected to flip any votes – only delay the process.
The Senate is expected to take up the bill later Tuesday night, and both senators from Texas – Ted Cruz and John Cornyn – are anticipated yes votes. Senate GOP leadership appears to have the votes to pass the bill, and Trump is expected to sign it into law in the coming days.
Two Texas figures have been central to moving the bill forward: U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, the lead Senate vote-counter, and U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, the House Ways and Means committee chairman from The Woodlands.
The bill offers significant cuts in corporate taxes and, for some taxpayers, major changes to deductions. How each American is affected will be impacted by geography, family size, salary and whether a taxpayer itemizes deductions.
Republicans have bullish expectations for the tax bill’s impact on the American economy and many suggest that the expected boost in wages and other effects will offset lost revenue to government coffers. But most economists anticipate the cuts will increase the national deficit by at least $1 trillion over the next 10 years.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2017/12/19/congress-track-pass-massive-tax-cuts/.
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