REPUBLICANS PASS SWEEPING TAX REFORM BILL TRUMP CLAIMS TAX AS A 'HISTORIC VICTORY'
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| US President Donald Trump celebrates with Congressional Republicans after the U.S. Congress passed sweeping tax overhaul legislation, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, US, December 20, 2017. ( Reuters ) |
Critics say the bill will raise the deficit and benefit super-rich at the expense of the middle class.
The president hailed the legislation, which was passed by the House of
Representatives for a second and final time on Wednesday after hitting a
procedural snag a day earlier, as "an incredible Christmas gift for
hardworking Americans".
"I said I wanted to have it done before Christmas; we got it
done," Trump said during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
Trump held a press conference alongside Republican members of the House
and Senate on Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the bill's passing.
The US House of Representatives has passed the most sweeping overhaul
of the US tax system in more than three decades.
The controversial legislation introduces permanent tax cuts for
corporations and temporary ones for individuals.
We are delivering HISTORIC TAX RELIEF for the American people!#TaxCutsandJobsAct pic.twitter.com/lLgATrCh5o— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2017
Hogan Gidley, a White House spokesman, criticised Democrats for opposing the legislation and said they would pay a price at the ballot box during next year's midterm elections.
"We put forth a bill that actually gives tax cuts to the middle
class, about $2,000 on average per family, and no Democrat decides to vote for
it? It's absolutely incredible," Gidley told
Last week, Trump said the tax plan - the first major change to the US
tax code since 1986 - would fulfil a campaign promise to give middle-class
Americans a substantial tax cut before the end of the year.
The bill has been a major focus for Trump, who has been unable to pass
significant legislation since he took office last January.
Trump said the bill's focus is on creating jobs and giving tax cuts to
the country's middle class.
"The heart of our bill is a tremendous amount of relief for the
middle class, including a doubling of the child tax credit and a nearly
doubling of the standard deduction. That's going to be tremendous for
people," Trump said during the cabinet meeting.
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