Sep 20, 2017

Graham-Cassidy could delay tax reform rollout

Jonathan Swan

Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks at the Capitol last week. Photo: Andrew Harnik / AP

Administration officials have been debating whether to delay the tax rollout until the first week of October to clear space for the Graham-Cassidy health care bill. Sources with direct knowledge tell me no final decisions have been made as of Wednesday afternoon, but Trump has been impatient for tax reform to begin so he may not tolerate any more delays.

Why it matters: Sources involved say the plan is still to roll out tax reform next week, but some officials are wringing their hands about the health care bill — the Senate could vote as early as Wednesday — ruining tax reform's launch week by sucking all of the attention away from tax.

Why it's happening: Trump wants tax reform on schedule, but the Senate is running out of days to use reconciliation to change elements of the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, there is concern of potential leaks from the upcoming House Ways and Means Committee retreat, and the "Big Six" that's negotiating the plan has yet to decide what to put in the document that will guide tax reform.

An administration official told me the White House invited Big Six communications and coalitions teams to the Roosevelt Room on Wednesday afternoon to discuss what a rollout of tax reform would look like.

The group is still operating under the assumption that the rollout will happen next week as originally planned.

The "Big Six": House Ways and Means Committee chairman Kevin Brady, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Finance Committee chairman Orrin Hatch, Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House economic adviser Gary Cohn.

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Graham-Cassidy could delay tax reform rollout

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