Bloomberg Politics
By John McCormick
July 31, 2017, 4:00 AM EDT
- August viewed as key month to prime legislative pump on issue
- Millions to be spent making case for tax overhaul this year
After times of only tepid support for President Donald Trump’s agenda, the billionaire Koch brothers are putting their financial muscle behind the White House’s plan to overhaul U.S. taxes.
Two gatherings in Washington this week mark the start of the push, and the network of conservative advocacy groups controlled by the Kochs has already lined up events in 36 states to make sure members of Congress hear the call for lower taxes when they’re home for their August recess.
The move marks a pivot for the Kochs, who didn’t support Trump in 2016 and have come out against some of his policies. The network — joined by many of the nation’s retailers — scored a kill last week when Republican leaders abandoned the so-called border-adjusted tax on domestic sales and imports.
The proposal had driven a wedge between the Koch-affiliated groups and some of their staunchest allies, including BAT advocate House Speaker Paul Ryan.
“We’re committed to achieving legislation that can get to the president’s desk that he can sign,” Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips said in an interview. “We are strongly supportive of the blueprint for tax reform that was laid out by the Trump administration.”
Thus far, the administration has released only a one-page plan that was shy of specifics on how to pay for cutting taxes for businesses and individuals. As details take shape, tensions could re-emerge. While the Kochs tend to favor a more purist view of limited government, Republican lawmakers face a political balancing act, which may become more fraught after having failed to unite behind a measure to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Read more at https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-31/koch-network-readies-push-for-lower-taxes-after-border-tax-kill.
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