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Welp, they did it. In the dead of night, Republicans passed the giant giveaway to corporations and the wealthy that they like to bill a “middle-class tax cut” or “tax reform.” Sort of. While both the House and Senate have passed the legislation, the House has to vote again Wednesday morning, because Republicans are bad at governing.
But let’s back up. The Republican tax bill is the most unpopular major legislation in decades and economists say it will not help the economy in the ways Republicans keep promising, but that wasn’t going to stop them. The House voted on Tuesday afternoon, passing the bill by 227 to 203, with 12 Republicans joining every Democrat in voting no. The Senate voted after midnight, passing the bill 51 to 48 on a party-line vote (Sen. John McCain was absent). But wait! They’re not done yet. Because the version of the bill the House voted on didn’t meet Senate rules to allow a simple majority vote, the House is going to have to vote again.
After which they’ll rush it to Donald Trump for his signature and the Republicans will crack the bubbly, while the rest of the nation—or anyway, everyone worth less than a couple million dollars—will be left waiting for the playing field to get even less level (and you could already sled down what we’re on now; in a few years, look for black diamond skiing on the playing field of the U.S. economy). Oh, and the bill will also damage our healthcare system. This is going to hurt people.
Elections matter. Can you give $1 to each of the Democratic nominee funds in Daily Kos-targeted districts and states to take back the House and the Senate?