politics

Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden Gets Bypassed On Taxes By Trump

By Jeff Mapes (OPB)
Sept. 28, 2017 10:45 p.m.

Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden has authored two bipartisan plans to revamp the tax code, including one with a member of President Donald Trump's cabinet.

Related: Totaling Up President Trump's Tax Overhaul Plan

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:

But Wyden isn't being consulted on the new plan released by the administration and the congressional Republican leadership.

"You'll have to ask them why," Wyden said in a telephone interview Thursday. "The president and I had a chance to spend what amounts to about 30 seconds on taxes."

He said that was back in June. Wyden said he used those few seconds to urge Trump to follow the last successful revamp of the tax code — back in 1986 — by building bipartisan support for a bill.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:

But Wyden and other Democratic leaders say they want a plan that doesn't rack up more federal debt and that isn't tilted toward the wealthy or to major corporations. Trump and GOP leaders are now focused on trying to attach their tax proposal to budget legislation. That would allow them to get it through the Senate without facing a filibuster, which requires 60 votes to break.

Republicans tried the same tack on health care in their efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. That hasn't worked, at least so far because Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., hasn't been able to assemble enough Republican votes.

On taxes, Trump has tried to bring along a handful of Democratic senators from red-leaning states. For example, he gave Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., a ride on Air Force One Wednesday when the president traveled to Indiana for a speech promoting the GOP tax plan. After they arrived, Trump told a crowd at the Indiana State Fairgrounds he'd campaign against Donnelly next year if he didn't vote for it.

Wyden said he's also been lobbying Donnelly and other moderate Democrats about what he sees as the ills in the Republican plan.

"I talk to every member of the Democratic caucus about taxes, including the several who have made it clear that they are looking at this carefully," Wyden said. "I think the amount of debt you're going to have here (with the GOP approach) is going to be a real turnoff to them."

The Oregon Democrat first developed a bill revamping the tax in 2010 with then-Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H.  The plan never took off, but it was praised by many analysts for simplifying the tax code.

After Gregg left the Senate, Wyden joined forces in 2011 with Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., to fashion a similar plan that also didn't go anywhere. Coats now serves under Trump as the director of national intelligence.

The Wyden-Republican plans contained some elements that are part of the Trump approach, such as reducing the number of tax rates and cutting the corporate tax rate while reducing some exemptions. But Wyden said his plans didn't reduce revenue or give a big tax break to wealthier taxpayers.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:
THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR: