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U.S. NEWS Thursday 14 sepTember 2017
AP interview: Ryan opens door GOP unveils new effort on health care

to tax cuts adding to US deficit
Continued from Front government-issued card. figure on record.
By ERICA WERNER Consumers also would no Sanders calls his bill Medi-
Associated Press “To my Republican col- longer owe out-of-pocket care for All, and it would ex-
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Paul Ryan leagues, don’t let the expenses like deductibles. pand the health insurance
backed off months of promises that the Republicans’ health care debate die. But Sanders’ description of program for the elderly to
tax plan won’t add to the nation’s ballooning deficit, Don’t leave the field with his measure omitted spe- cover all Americans.
declaring Wednesday in an AP Newsmaker interview your tail between your legs. cifics about how much it It would be phased in over
that the most important goal of an overhaul is eco-
nomic growth.
Asked twice whether he would insist the emerging tax
plan won’t pile more billions onto the $20 trillion na-
tional debt, Ryan passed up the chance to affirm that
commitment. GOP leaders made that “revenue neu-
tral” promise in a campaign manifesto last year and
many times since.
“We want pro-growth tax reform that will get the
economy going, that will get people back to work,
that will give middle-income taxpayers a tax cut and
that will put American businesses in a better competi-
tive playing field so that we keep American businesses
in America,” the Wisconsin Republican told Associat-
ed Press reporters and editors. “That is more important
than anything else.”
Ryan’s comments signaling possible retreat on a core
GOP commitment came amid quickening action
on taxes, which Republicans view as their last, best
chance to notch a significant accomplishment to
take to voters in the 2018 midterm elections following
the collapse of their “Obamacare” repeal drive. Yet
even as President Donald Trump hunted for Demo-
cratic votes for a plan that’s not yet taken shape, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., pauses while speaking at a news conference on Capitol Hill in
GOP leaders laid out an aggressive timetable to law- Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017, to unveil their Medicare for All legislation to reform health
makers, significant hurdles remained. care.
A major one is the GOP’s failure, thus far, to pass a (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
federal budget, which under legislative rules is a pre- Keep fighting,” Graham would cost and final deci- four years, and people and
requisite for a tax plan that can avoid being stalled to said. sions about how he would businesses would no longer
death by Democrats in the Senate. President Donald Trump pay for it. owe premiums to insurers.
Others involve the contents of the tax blueprint itself, lauded the senators’ ef- In an interview, Sanders The measure would make
which Ryan and his lieutenants envision as a far-reach- fort, but it was unclear how said Tuesday his measure health care less expensive
ing reform plan that would significantly lower rates for much energy the White would likely be paid for in a and less complicated for
corporations and individuals while cleaning up the House was actually putting “progressive way.” many people and busi-
loophole-ridden code. One problem is that every tax into the health care drive Aides said it would likely nesses. It would cover the
deduction has its own constituency, and Ryan has al- with GOP attention shifting be financed by income- 28 million Americans re-
ready ruled out eliminating some of the most popular to a tax overhaul. adjusted premiums people maining uninsured despite
ones, including deductions for home mortgages and “Inaction is not an option, would pay the govern- Obama’s law.
charitable giving. and I sincerely hope that ment, ranging from no Yet some Democrats fear
Objections also threaten from the GOP’s seemingly Senators Graham and Cas- premiums for the poorest Sanders is exposing them
shrinking ranks of deficit hawks if Ryan, Trump and Sen- sidy have found a way to Americans to high levies on to a lose-lose choice.
ate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell do try to move address the Obamacare the rich and corporations. Don’t support Sanders’
forward with a tax plan that could cost hundreds of crisis,” Trump said. The measure has no plan and Democrats risk
billions of dollars, without paying for it with cuts in fed- The White House issued the chance of becoming law alienating the party’s liber-
eral spending or some new sources of revenue. Sen. statement after Graham with President Donald al, activist voters, volunteers
Bob Corker, R-Tenn., chairman of the Foreign Relations used the news conference Trump in the White House and contributors. Back it
Committee, issued a statement earlier this week call- to urge Trump to “pick up and Republicans control- and they’ll be accused by
ing the debt the “greatest threat to our nation,” great- the phone” and round up ling Congress. Republicans of backing
er than North Korea, Russia or the Islamic State group. support from governors. But it embodies a push to a huge tax increase and
Ryan made his comments on taxes as he discussed “Tell them this matters to universal coverage that government-run health
a range of issues with the AP, including immigration, you, that you weren’t kid- eluded Obama’s 2010 law care, and taking away em-
where he pledged to find a solution for the nearly ding about repealing and and is a tenet of the Demo- ployer-provided coverage
800,000 immigrants brought to this country as children replacing Obamacare, cratic Party’s liberal, activ- for half the country that
and now here illegally. He declared that removing that you actually meant it,” ist base. many people like.
them all is “not in our nation’s interest,” though he de- Graham said. “I think in a democracy, we At least 16 Senate Demo-
clined to reaffirm his past support for eventual citizen- “So Mr. President, help us should be doing what the crats had signed onto
ship for the “Dreamers.” because we’re trying to American people want,” Sanders’ bill by late Tues-
He said any immigration solution must include border help you.” Sanders said, citing polls day, including four poten-
security measures, though he said a wall along the Sanders, the Vermont in- showing growing support tial 2020 presidential con-
entire southern border, which Trump has repeatedly dependent who caucus- for the concept. tenders besides Sanders:
urged, doesn’t make sense. On taxes, Trump himself es with Democrats, was He released his bill hours af- Kamala Harris of California,
added to the complications when he surprisingly de- unveiling legislation that ter the Census Bureau said Massachusetts’ Elizabeth
clared, at a meeting with a bipartisan group of House would allow Americans the proportion of uninsured Warren, New York’s Kirsten
members, that taxes on the wealthy would not go to get health coverage Americans fell to 8.8 per- Gillibrand and Cory Booker
down under the GOP plan and might even go up.q simply by showing a new cent last year, the lowest of New Jersey. q