Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Local GOP reps line up behind tax bill
As Republicans celebrated a victory in the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday following a successful vote on their tax overhaul package, it was learned that they’ll have to vote again on Wednesday after three provisions of the bill did not match with Senate rules.
Dealing with using educational savings accounts for homeschooling and private university endowments, the Senate parliamentarian disqualified the House bill on procedural grounds, halting the revelry of an otherwise exuberant GOP caucus that passed the bill 227-203.
U.S. Reps. Pat Meehan, R-7 of Chadds Ford, Ryan Costello, R-6 of West Goshen, and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-8 of Levittown, all voted in support of the bill. Twelve GOP members opposed. U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, D-1 of Philadelphia, who represents parts of Delaware County, opposed the measure.
Republicans, however, still expect a big party-line victory come Wednesday.
The U.S. Senate was heading for a vote late Tuesday night, but it was expected that the $1.5 trillion tax cut, the most sweeping tax overhaul in decades, would pass with no Democratic support.
Local Republicans celebrated it as a massive win for the middle class, as Democrats responded to the bill with ire.
“This legislation doesn’t just mean more money in the pockets of middle class families. It means more jobs, too. It’s the most significant revamp of our broken business tax code in decades, and it will bring thousands of jobs back to our shores from overseas,” Meehan said.
Brady blasted the bill and chided Republicans following the vote.
“It is a lie that this is a middle class tax cut. The truth is that the bill will raise taxes on 86 million middle class households, it will raise income taxes on the working poor, it robs
Medicare and Medicaid and gives a major tax cut to the rich and corporations,” Brady said. “The Republicans have blatantly lied to the American people. And, now we find that in their rush to pass this tax scam they have not even followed the rules required for the vote.”
The tax bill lowers individual tax rates overall, and doubles the standard deduction while eliminating the personal exemption. The child tax credit would double and expand the use of 529 college savings accounts to include K-12 private school tuition (which was the procedural error the Senate disqualified).
Corporate taxes would be slashed permanently, from 35 percent to 21 percent, and
the bill eliminates the alternative minimum tax. Small business expensing would be increased from the limit of $500,000 to $1 million.
The bill also eliminates the Afforcdable Care Act’s individual mandate, which was set to start in 2019. It is said to severely weaken the ACA, but is estimated to save over $300 billion. The Congressional Budget Office released a report that said 13 million people would go uninsured by 2027.
Meehan said the bill will help middle class taxpayers, preserve important medical expense deductions and protect taxpayers from the individual mandate penalty and by slashing the corporate taxes would create 13,000 more jobs in Pennsylvania.
“Our tax code today is broken. Pennsylvania taxpayers spend too much time and money each year struggling to comply with a
tax code that doesn’t work for them. Taxpayers will be able to decide how to spend more of what they earn instead of sending it to Washington. Their tax bill will be lower and for many, paying it will be far simpler. It’s a good deal for working families across Pennsylvania,” Meehan said.
Costello pinged on similar points in affirming his position Tuesday following his vote.
“My voice and my vote reflects what my constituents need and feel – more money in their paychecks, a healthier economy that helps everyone, and better positioning for American companies to grow and compete in the global economy,” Costello said.
Democrats who intend to unseat Meehan in next year’s election took the opportunity to sound off Tuesday.
“I support simplifying our tax system and decreasing the burden on families in the commonwealth, but this scam accomplishes the opposite and is the perfect example of gross fiscal negligence,” said Democratic challenger Drew McGinty.
Democratic candidate Dan Muroff said Meehan has “forgotten his roots.”
“With his vote supporting the GOP tax bill, today Pat Meehan proves his loyalty to party over principle. He helped write a tax bill that gives tax breaks to the most well off and massive corporations, while it shifts the expense to working and middle-class families,” Muroff said.
Costello said that he had taken the opinions of his constituents to heart, and voted for what he felt was right.
“I have listened to everyone. Everyone who has called, emailed, and written. I’ve heard from families, and I’ve spent time with small-business owners, who have told me over and over that this will put more money back in the pockets of their workers, stimulate more jobs, and help them improve and grow their businesses,” Costello said.
Following the final votes Wednesday, President Donald Trump is expected to waste no time signing the bill into law.