KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The House and Senate both passed the Republican version of the tax reform bill, but because of a rules issue, the House must vote again on the bill before President Trump can sign it into law.
If signed into law, this will be the first tax reform bill in decades.
“It means people in my district who live paycheck to paycheck will have a tax cut coming back to them, more money in their pockets,” Kansas Congressman Kevin Yoder said.
In Congress, it’s a fight between those who demand higher taxes and more spending in Washington and those who want to return tax dollars to the hardworking Americans who earned them. Today, the Washington bureaucrats lost and the American people won.
Full statement below: pic.twitter.com/rDFlgUsI7K
— Rep. Kevin Yoder (@RepKevinYoder) December 19, 2017
The vote went along party lines. Democrats are calling this bill a scam, while Republicans say this bill will save you money.
The bill creates no taxes on people making less than $24,0000. Congressman Yoder said the average middle-class family will get more than $2,000.
“We doubled the standard deduction. If you make in $24,000 you pay no taxes. Zero percent taxes. Every American gets that standard deduction. We doubled the child tax credit so if that is my constituents, or people in Missouri who have children, we are doubling that tax credit meaning they will have a huge tax windfall as well,” Yoder said.
Democrats say the bill will put the country further in debt.
This afternoon I voted no on the #GOPTaxScam. Full statement here:https://t.co/u5J5ZmeQZ3
— Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (@repcleaver) December 19, 2017
“They just voted on a tax bill that explodes the deficit. It adds $1.5 trillion to the deficit,” Missouri Congressman Emanuel Cleaver said.
Cleaver said the bill does give the average person more money but he says that isn’t permanent.
“It is true the average taxpayer watching your station will get about $100 a month, that will go on for five years and that tax will expire. The corporate tax is now permanent,” Cleaver said.
The bill will keep graduate student tuition waivers tax exempt. It will also create tax cuts for local breweries.
“This is a Christmas gift to the American people who are working hard. We need to cut spending in this town. We need to get our act under control. Taking more money from our constituents and sending it to Washington D.C. – that is not the answer. It is about a tax break for the American people and growing our economy,” Yoder said.
“I think the president wants to clearly sign a bill because he has not been able to get a major achievement. He came to the conclusion, anything is better than nothing,” Cleaver said.
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