House Republicans Can't Even Agree On How To Screw The Poor

So stupid.

Jan 31, 2024

The MAGA mad House can’t do much of anything, but these are still Republicans, so you’d think they can at least cut taxes for rich dummies. That’s their primary value proposition. Unfortunately, Speaker At The Moment Mike Johnson is dealing with another potential revolt among his caucus over the one issue you’d think would unite them.

Politico reports that “Republican leaders are staring down a messy litany of complaints from both incumbents in vulnerable districts demanding state and local tax relief and conservative Freedom Caucus members who are intent on bringing border politics into the tax debate.”

Yes, it’s the ongoing squabble between Republicans who like advancing awful Republican policies and the far-right nihilists who prefer smearing their feces on the nearest wall. No matter who prevails, the results stink.

Some Republicans are especially peeved that Johnson might pass legislation with Democratic votes. Johnson could execute a House maneuver that would let him bypass the MAGA Rules Committee and pass a tax deal with a two-thirds majority of the entire House. Although I wouldn’t count on Johnson’s ability to walk two steps without tripping over his shoelaces, Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good nonetheless grumbled, “It’s a problem that we continue to do things under suspension of the rules.”

Good then rattled off some rancid great replacement theory mixed with a dose of Dickensian villain cruelty.

“I’m not going to support something that expands the Child Tax Credit, which is expanding the welfare state massively,” he said. “And I’m not going to support tax credits, Child Tax Credits, going to illegals. I think that’s incentivizing this illegal invasion.”

I wish Good could spend just one night as one of the millions of poor children who’ll go to bed hungry because of people like him. He deserves a scathing Rod Serling closing monologue.

House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith brokered the current $78 billion bipartisan tax package with Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden, and he said that they expect a vote this week.

Despite the complaints from ultra-right conservatives and Republicans seeking SALT changes, plenty of moderates also praised Smith, who outlined the bill for members at the Tuesday meeting. The tax chief has shepherded the GOP through bipartisan talks that ended with an agreement to restore three popular business tax breaks, including those that would give larger research and development deductions.

Rep. Daniel Meuser conceded a basic reality: “We can’t get anything that we consider perfect through this slim majority that we have and a Democrat-run Senate and a Biden White House, but it’s strong. It brings back the Trump tax cuts.” Oh joy. “It’s very, very important for small business and families.”

Republicans from so-called “blue” states are looking to raise the SALT cap. (SALT cap refers to how much people who itemize their federal taxes can deduct what they’ve paid in state and local taxes. It’s obviously a big deal in states like New York.) Rep. Nick LaLota introduced a bill that would increase the cap from its current $10,000 to $80,000 for individuals and $160,000 for couples filing jointly.

Obviously, this is something that Good can support.

“I haven’t talked to the SALT caucus people, but I think there’s some merit to possibly raising the SALT limit,” Good said. “And I would be willing to consider that in exchange for not expanding the Child Tax Credit, not making it eligible for illegals to receive.”

Good might just let well-off people have a break on their taxes and all he wants in exchange is more starving kids. He’s terrible.

There is, of course, some urgency to finalizing a deal, as people are already receiving their W2s and even W3s, and lower-income people usually file their taxes earlier. We can only hope at this point that Johnson can contain his circus.

[Politico]

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