Yesterday, a joint effort to promote the GOP’s new tax reform proposal was spearheaded by Donald Trump and Paul Ryan, who have made tax reform their main priority for this fiscal year.
Reading the proposal offers insight into what the GOP wants. Reading Paul Ryan’s excellent op-ed here at RedState provides a glimpse into the thought process behind it. It certainly sounds like several great ideas are coming together to make a solid reform possible.
However, conservatives have been burned before, and many of the complaints on the right aren’t so much about the merits of the proposal, but who is backing it. The President is a highly divisive figure, and his presence in the tax reform debate will lead to opposition based solely on that. As well, the fact that leadership in the Republican Party is pushing it will lead to opposition based solely on that fact.
The plan is by no means perfect, but all the right people (Democrats) dislike it. It makes some necessary changes, offers a bit of tough love to certain taxpayers, and works to make America competitive on the global market again.
These are all good things, but does the GOP deserve that loyalty now? To get our support solely because this time we think they’re serious?
It’s a tough sell to a lot of conservatives who have been burned before. While we understand the importance of the concept of tax reform, Congressional Republicans have not exactly been the most delivering group of people when it comes to promises. The specter of health care reform’s failure still lingers over them, after all.
But, I’ll be honest with y’all: I like the plan. I think it’s worth consideration. But, I also believe there is room to the Right of it that we should negotiate for. The proposal as it stands is a solid one, but it is just that – a proposal. We haven’t seen a bill, and we don’t know what in the legislative language can and will change.
And… let’s face it. Tax reform is nowhere near as sexy as the repeal of Obamacare, but it is a hugely important reform that the Republicans have a chance to swing their way.
What do you think about the reform? Think it has a shot? I hope so.
The post Does the GOP Deserve to Pass Tax Reform? appeared first on RedState.