Sep 12, 2017

Trumpworld's Hill talking points for tax reform

Andrew Harnik / AP

Axios obtained the talking points the Trump administration sent to Capitol Hill this afternoon, as tax reform talks heat up. It's a window into how the President and his team will be selling their biggest legislative goal for 2017:

  1. Reducing tax preparation time and complexity: "Under our plan, 95% of Americans will be able to file their tax return on a single page..."
  2. Framing tax cuts as increasing tax fairness: "We will restore fairness by streamlining the tax code and ending special interest tax breaks and loopholes... Our plan will reduce taxes for our Middle Class..."
  3. "Win again": The administration will argue for corporate tax cuts as fairness for small business and leveling the playing field for American workers.
  4. "Bring it home": The talking points encourage businesses to repatriate overseas profits, labeling the swap from "Offshoring Model" to "American Model."

Reality check: We still have no detail and detail is what the Hill is hungering for. There's little chance Republican members will pass a budget, which is needed as the vehicle to move tax reform, until they know critical details like the specific rates and which loopholes are removed.

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