Tax troubles: GOP yet to inspire confidence that it can deliver on reform

While the Roy Moore saga in Alabama turned from deeply disturbing to downright bizarre Wednesday, what happens today could be all the more troubling for the GOP.

Despite all the sexual improprieties alleged against Moore there are now indications of a made-up reporter, a letter penned by Moore's wife attacking journalists, another letter purported to be signed by 50 or more pastors in support of Moore that is alleged to have been forged. It's an odd scene.

But a Republican senator, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, came out in opposition to the party's proposed tax bill, which until late Wednesday afternoon was all but certain to pass the House in a vote later today. Now it might not pass, but even if it should, a similar bill would still have to pass in the Senate and the two would need to be merged before a comprehensive reform bill could be presented to Trump -- hopefully by Christmas -- in order for the president to sign the bill into law before the year is out.

That is in doubt now, given that none of the Democrats in office support it and the GOP can only afford to lose two of its own votes and see the bill still pass.

Opponents argue that the cuts the tax reform bill stands to make are inherently beneficial to the rich, are undermined by the deficit they will create and that a slipped in addendum stripping away the individual mandate on health care -- not part of the bill up for vote in the House today -- will throw 13 million people off of their health insurance plans over the next decade.

And while that is the cynical, most dire view of the reforms, even some Republicans have openly argued that the removal by the bill of certain tax deductions enjoyed by the average American family would hurt the very people that voted Trump and most of the congressional seat-holding officials backing the bill into office.

And that is a shame. They were sent there to do better.

We agree the tax system is antiquated. We agree health care is bloated and bankrupting families and small businesses. We agree the GOP needs to get some things done and done quickly to stem whatever ground the Democrats are convinced they are gaining with all of these recent gaffes and guffaws. We just aren't seeing it happen.

Published in Editorials on November 15, 2017 10:07 PM