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U.S. NEWS Thursday 16 November 2017
Trump keeps silent as Moore storm grows louder

Continued from Front tainly hand the election to
the Democrats unless he
His victory would saddle should withdraw and per-
GOP senators with a col- suaded his supporters to
league accused of abusing vote for that substitute.
and harassing teenagers, a To a great extent, the
troubling liability heading anti-establishment forces
into next year’s congres- that propelled Trump to
sional elections, while a loss the White House are now
to Democrat Doug Jones strongly behind Moore,
would slice the already nar- and Alabama Republican
row GOP Senate majority leaders are reluctant to
to an unwieldy 51-49. block him and enrage his
Behind the scenes, aides loyal conservative support-
described Trump as vexed ers. State GOP leaders are
by the Moore issue. At any highlighting party rules that
rate, he might make an could allow them to crack
uncomfortable critic: The down on Alabama officials
allegations against the who support anyone else.
bombastic former judge Trump backed Moore’s un-
echo Trump’s own politi- successful rival, Sen. Luther
cal problems when he was Strange, in the Republican
accused weeks before the Former Alabama Chief Justice and U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore leaves after he speaks at a primary. Moore has the
2016 election of more than church revival, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017, in Jackson, Ala. backing of Trump’s former
a dozen instances of sexual (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) chief strategist, Steve Ban-
harassment. National Re- Fox News Channel host undercut the story of the Neither the attorney nor non.
publicans, including many Sean Hannity joined the latest woman to accuse the campaign manager And Bannon’s conserva-
of the same now abandon- GOP critics during his show Moore of sexually accost- addressed the original al- tive news site, Breitbart, has
ing Moore, withdrew their Tuesday evening, saying he ing her when she was in legations from Leigh Corf- led the charge in trying to
endorsements or halted was giving Moore 24 hours high school. man concerning sexual discredit the allegations
their efforts on Trump’s be- to explain “inconsistencies” The attorney, Phillip Jau- contact she said Moore against the candidate.
half at the time. in his response to allega- regui, demanded that Bev- initiated when she was 14, GOP officials cautioned
Republican allies of the ad- tions of child molestation or erly Young Nelson “release or the other allegations of that the actions of Wash-
ministration expressed con- else exit the Alabama race. the yearbook” she con- impropriety with teenagers. ington Republicans, includ-
cern about Trump’s silence, Showing no signs of surren- tends Moore signed. It’s too late to remove ing the president, were
warning that Moore will be der, Moore’s campaign He questioned that the sig- Moore’s name from the unlikely to affect Moore’s
in the news for weeks, as chairman and personal at- nature was Moore’s and ballot, so fielding a Repub- decision-making — and
will the president’s refusal torney addressed the me- said it should be submitted lican write-in candidate at that any moves against him
to weigh in. dia in Alabama, trying to for handwriting analysis. this point would almost cer- could backfire.q

1st GOP senator opposes tax bill in early sign of problems

Continued from Front taking health care away would owe more than 20
from millions of people just percent in taxes for much
Democrats said the mea- to give huge tax cuts to the of their income.
sures would deliver the bulk largest corporations,” said “These businesses truly are
of their benefits to higher Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla. the engines of innovation
earners and corporations. The Finance panel was on and job creation through-
In the Senate Finance track to approve its propos- out our economy, and they
Committee, they focused al by the end of the week. should not be left behind,”
their attacks on two provi- But with GOP leaders hop- Johnson said in a written
sions designed by Republi- ing for full Senate passage statement.
cans to save money. early next month, concerns But he left the door open to
One would repeal Presi- by Johnson — and perhaps changes “so I can support
dent Barack Obama’s re- others — would have to be the final version.”
quirement that people buy addressed. In the House, a small group
health coverage or pay a Using special procedures, of Republicans largely from
fine, a move the nonparti- Republicans controlling the Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., followed at right by Rep. New York and New Jersey
san Congressional Budget Senate 52-48 can approve Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., walks past boxes of petitions was rebelling because the
Office projects would result the legislation with just 50 supporting the Republican tax reform bill that is set for a vote House plan would erase tax
in 13 million more uninsured votes, plus tie-breaking later this week as he arrives for a news conference on Capitol deductions for state and lo-
people by 2027. support from Vice President Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017. cal income and sales taxes
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The other would end the Mike Pence. and limit property tax de-
personal income tax cuts With solid Democratic op- yet to commit to backing nerships and specially ductions to $10,000.
in 2026 while keeping the position likely, they can lose the tax measure. organized corporations Their numbers seemed in-
corporate reductions per- just two GOP votes. Johnson complained the whose owners pay levies sufficient to derail the bill.
manent. Besides Johnson, Republi- bills were more generous using individual, not corpo- Asked if they could stop it,
“We should be working can Sens. to publicly traded corpo- rate, tax rates. Rep.
together to find ways to Susan Collins of Maine, Jeff rations than to so-called While details of the House Peter King, R-N.Y., shook
cut taxes for hardworking Flake of Arizona and Bob pass-through entities. and Senate bills differ, his head and said, “I don’t
middle-class families, not Corker of Tennessee have Those are millions of part- many pass-through owners think so.”q