David K. Li and Joe Tacopino
 |
Mitch McConnell, flanked by
Republican Senators, speaks to reporters. Photo: Getty Images
|
The Senate early Saturday
narrowly voted to pass an expansive $1.2 trillion tax reform bill.
The 51-49 vote on the nearly
500-page bill took place shortly before 2 a.m. after Democrats attempted a
last-ditch amendment to stall the vote until Monday in order to read the bill.
Republican members broke out
in enthusiastic applause as Vice President Mike Pence pounded the gavel and
announce the bill’s passage at 1:51 a.m.
Donald Trump praised the
news tweeting,
“Look forward to signing a final bill before Christmas!”
Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee was the lone Republican to cross party lines,
joining all 48 Democrats in voting against it.
Senate Democrats decried that
the vote was even taking place in the middle of night.
“Millions of Americans must be
watching in stunned disbelief tonight as the Republican Senate betrays the
middle class for the benefit of faceless multinational corporations,” Sen. Ron
Wyden (D-Ore.) said on the Seante floor. “What is happening tonight is the
worst of the United States Senate.”
Republicans used a burst of
eleventh-hour horse-trading to pass the tax overhaul.
The Senate and House will now
negotiate a final version to reconcile differences in their bills.
Republicans took a big step
toward giving President Trump a major legislative achievement in his first
year.
On Friday, Senate Republicans
made a last-minute scramble to tweak the bill to placate GOP holdouts.
One holdout, Maine Sen. Susan Collins, switched to the yes column after winning an agreement to
add a deduction of up to $10,000 for local property taxes that would match the
House bill.
The original Senate bill had
completely eliminated all state and local taxes as deductions on federal
returns — including the property tax.
Other changes aimed at winning
votes included: maintaining the alternative minimum tax for corporations;
increasing the pass-through deduction for small businesses from 17.4 to 23
percent and boosting the repatriation rate for corporate cash stashed offshore.
Both Sens. Steve Daines of
Montana and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said the larger break for small businesses
swayed them to become supporters.
“I sought assurance and I was
given assurance that I will be at the table” when Senate-House bargainers write
a compromise version of the bill, Johnson said about talks that he has had with
GOP leaders.
Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake said
he was voting for the bill after being promised a voice in determining the fate
of Dreamers, young illegal immigrants who had been protected by the Deferred
Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Corker, who will not seek
re-election after his current term, said he couldn’t vote for a measure that
increased the nation’s debt.
On Friday, the Tax Policy Center said its
study showed an even higher deficit — $1.2 trillion over a decade.
David K. Li and Joe Tacopino,
New York Post, December 2, 2017
Etats-Unis: la majorité républicaine au Sénat a voté la réforme fiscale présentée par le gouvernement
ResponderExcluirEtats-Unis: la réforme fiscale adoptée par le Sénat, une victoire pour Trump
ExcluirO Facebook, Google e Twitter dizem estar cada vez mais atentos às "fake news", na prática impondo censura a milhares de produtores independentes de conteúdo e favorecendo as grandes empresas de mídia, segundo eles mais responsáveis na hora de produzir notícias.
ResponderExcluirPois ontem a ABC, tradicional empresa de mídia dos EUA, apresentou uma informação falsa que produziu uma forte queda nas bolsas e influenciou até mesmo o debate sobre a reforma tributária no Senado.
Simplesmente noticiaram que Trump tinha dado uma ordem para que o General Flynn conduzisse conversas com os russos, sugerindo que Trump tivesse cometido um crime, o que poderia gerar um processo de Impeachment. Quase toda a grande imprensa repercutiu a chamada.
Horas mais tarde, a ABC apresentou uma correção, dizendo que a fonte esclareceu que Trump havia definido uma diretriz durante a campanha sobre contato com os russos para chegar a uma acordo sobre como combater o ISIS na Síria, entre outros assuntos que não configurariam nenhum crime.
É óbvio que a ABC tentou influenciar o Senado que estava pronto para votar talvez a matéria mais importante dos últimos anos.
Se isso não é fake news suja para manipular o processo democrático, não sei mais nada. Estariam os gigantes da internet prontos para barrar a propaganda política travestida de notícia, produzida por CNN, NBC, ABC, NYT, Washington Post e afins?
Ou não seria mais fácil simplesmente honrar a primeira emenda americana e deixar esses canais livres de qualquer censura para que o público decida o que é verdade e o que é mentira?
Leandro Ruschel
Impressionante como a mídia (de esquerda e/ou de extrema-esquerda) noticia esta votação.
ResponderExcluirO Público escreve que é a maior redução de impostos... para as empresas;
Um tal de Eco escreve que os mais pobres pagarão a conta;
e etc, etc – em todas as línguas!
No Wall Street Journal:
ResponderExcluirMueller’s Credibility Problem – The special counsel is stonewalling Congress and protecting the FBI.