The Story Behind the 2017 Tax Cuts
Taxes

The Story Behind the 2017 Tax Cuts

JONATHAN ERNST

The Center for Public Integrity has a new report examining how Republicans created and passed their tax cuts package in 2017.

Here’s an overview from the piece:

"What would become known as the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or more commonly, the Trump tax cuts, was officially launched with six sentences in Trump’s first address to Congress on Feb. 28. There would be a ‘big, big cut’ for companies, and ‘massive tax relief for the middle class,’ he said. ‘Have to do it.’ For Republicans, the idea held promise.

But by the time the measure was signed into law 10 months later, it had ridden a roller-coaster ride of flip-flops, exaggeration, hypocrisy, falsehoods and contortions. Rosy estimates of economic growth were summoned from right-wing pro-growth think tanks. Budgeting gimmicks made deficits disappear. Deals were cut. Historic Republican concerns about the long-term debt were abandoned. The result: flawed and ill-considered legislation that disappointed some tax experts ... and utterly flummoxed others."

Read the full report on The Center for Public Integrity website.

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