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U.S. NEWS Thursday 14 december 2017
GOP says it’s got a deal on taxes; cuts coming for next year

By S. OHLEMACHER the GOP president. opposed tax cuts grow expire after a decade — from 35 percent to 21 per-
Associated Press Middle- and low-income smaller and weaker, and saving money to comply cent and allow homeown-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Con- families would get smaller the American people grow with Senate budget rules. In ers to deduct interest only
fident congressional Re- tax cuts, though Trump and stronger,” Trump said at all, the bill would cut taxes on the first $750,000 of a
publicans forged an agree- GOP leaders have billed the White House. “This is for by about $1.5 trillion over new mortgage.
ment Wednesday on a ma- the package as a huge people of middle income, the next 10 years, add- The top tax rate currently
jor overhaul of the nation’s benefit for the middle class. this is for companies that ing billions to the nation’s applies to income above
tax laws that would provide The measure would scrap are going to create jobs. mounting debt. $470,000 for married cou-
generous tax cuts for cor- a major tax requirement This is for very, very special The legislation, which is still ples, though lawmakers are
porations and the wealthi- of Barack Obama’s Af- people, the great people being finalized, would cut reworking the tax brackets.
est Americans — Donald fordable Care Act, a step of America.” the top tax rate for the The standard deduction
Trump among them — and toward the ultimate GOP The business tax cuts would wealthy from 39.6 percent would be nearly doubled,
deliver the first major legis- goal of unraveling the law. be permanent, but reduc- to 37 percent, slash the to $24,000 for married
lative accomplishment to “The cynical voices that tions for individuals would corporate income tax rate couples.q
GOP’s not all that sad; party grapples with Alabama fallout

Continued from Front that “the average Republi-
Republican Alabama Sen. can voter across the coun-
Richard Shelby said that try is pointing their finger at
Moore, a fiery conserva- Mitch McConnell and the
tive, would have brought Republican establishment.”
a “radioactive” element to Conservative activist Mark
the Senate GOP. Meckler did just that.
“I’m relieved and I believe “One hundred percent of
a lot of Republicans are re- this I hang around Mitch
lieved that Roy Moore and McConnell’s neck,” said
some of his people aren’t Meckler, an early tea par-
the face of the Republi- ty leader, referring to the
can Party that I know,” said mainstream Republican
Shelby, who cast a write-in who is Senate majority
vote for another Repub- leader.
lican and never backed At the same time, the Ala-
down in his opposition to bama contest sounded an
Moore. undeniable alarm for Re-
More than 22,000 write-in publican officials charged
votes were cast Tuesday, with defending the party’s
more than the margin of majorities in the House and
difference between the Senate next year. Under
winner and loser, suggest- U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore speaks as his wife Kayla Moore, right, listens at the RSA activity the weight of Trump’s his-
ing many other voters re- center, Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017, in Montgomery, Ala. Moore did not concede to his Democratic torically low approval rat-
fused to vote for a Demo- opponent Doug Jones. ings, Alabama put their
crat but couldn’t accept (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) concerns on steroids.
Moore. espoused views that alien- establishment after leaving some Republican leaders “This was a wake-up-and-
Sen.-elect Doug Jones’ ated women, racial minori- the White House earlier in were trying to undermine smell-the-coffee moment,”
stunning Democratic victo- ties, gays and Muslims. the year, dismissed the loss the president’s agenda. said Steven Law, who
ry marked a major setback Despite the outcome’s as little more than a tem- “They’re stomping on the leads the Senate Leader-
for Trump and top political relief for the GOP’s prag- porary setback that would very base they need to turn ship Fund, which is aligned
ally Steve Bannon. They matic wing, the fight for the soon be forgotten. Repub- out for their candidates with Senate GOP leaders.
had devoted time, resourc- party’s soul was hardly de- licans cheering Moore’s in the general election in He said Alabama’s elec-
es and political capital to cided with one Alabama loss, they said, would simply 2018,” said Andy Surabian, tion, like recent contests in
Moore in recent days, even special election. enrage Trump’s most loy- a senior adviser to the Ban- Virginia and New Jersey,
as he faced the allegations Allies of Bannon, who de- al supporters nationwide, non-backed Great Amer- demonstrated “sky-high
of sexual misconduct and clared war on the party’s who already suspected ica PAC. He contended Democratic enthusiasm.”q
Justice official defends Mueller, sees no cause for firing

Continued from Front removed over the summer ing to take action on it. reviewed by The Associat- “appropriate for public
“The special counsel’s in- from Mueller’s team follow- That’s what Mr. Mueller did ed Press on Tuesday night. release.” “Our goal, con-
vestigation is not a witch ing the discovery of text here. As soon as he learned Rosenstein acknowledged gressman, is to make sure
hunt,” Rosenstein said in re- messages exchanged with about this issue, he took in response to Democratic it’s clear to you we are not
sponse to questions about Lisa Page, an FBI lawyer action,” Rosenstein said. questioning that reporters concealing anything that is
whether he agreed with who was also detailed this Hundreds of the messages, were invited to the Justice embarrassing to the FBI,” he
Trump’s characterization of year to the group of agents which surfaced in a Jus- Department to review the said. The existence of the
the probe. “The indepen- and prosecutors investi- tice Department inspector messages — which was un- text messages, disclosed
dence and integrity of the gating potential coordina- general investigation of the usual given that they were in news reports earlier this
investigation are not going tion between Russia and FBI’s inquiry into Democrat part of an ongoing watch- month, provided a line of
to be affected by anything Trump’s Republican cam- Hillary Clinton’s use of a pri- dog report — but said that attack for Trump, who used
that anyone says.” Peter paign. “When we have vate email server, were be- decision was acceptable the revelation to disparage
Strzok, a veteran FBI coun- evidence of any inappro- ing provided to congressio- because the information FBI leadership as politically
terintelligence agent, was priate conduct, we’re go- nal committees and were was determined to be tainted.q