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U.S. NEWS Friday 17 November 2017
Big House victory for GOP tax plan, but Senate fate unclear

By ALAN FRAM to the point we can’t pass
Associated Press it.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Re- ”The House plan and a
publicans rammed a $1.5 comparable proposal
trillion overhaul of Ameri- Republicans hoped to
cans’ business and person- push through the Senate
al income taxes through Finance Committee by
the U.S. House Thursday, week’s end would deliver
edging the nation toward the bulk of tax reductions
its biggest rewrite in three to businesses.
decades and President Each version would cut the
Donald Trump and the 35 percent corporate tax
GOP toward their first ma- rate to 20 percent, while
jor legislative triumph after reducing personal rates
10 bumpy months of con- for many taxpayers and
trolling government. erasing but also shrinking
However, the mostly party- deductions. Projected fed-
line 227-205 vote masked eral deficits would grow by
more ominous problems in $1.5 trillion over 10 years.
the Senate. As decades of Republi-
There, a similar package cans have done before
received a politically awk- them, GOP lawmakers
ward verdict from non- House Ways and Means Chair Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, center, is welcomed by House Repub- touted their tax cuts as a
partisan congressional licans including from left, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif., House Speaker Paul boon to families across all
analysts showing it would Ryan of Wis., Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., as they ar- income lines and a boost
eventually produce higher rive to speak to the media following a vote on the GOP tax bill, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017, on Capitol for businesses and the en-
Hill in Washington.

(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

taxes for low- and middle- tire economy.q
income earners but deep include the AARP lobby for
reductions for those better older people, major medi-
off.Those projections came cal organizations, Realtors
a day after Wisconsin Sen. — and, in all likelihood, all
Ron Johnson became the Senate Democrats.
first GOP senator to state With this summer’s crash of
opposition to the measure, the GOP effort to dismantle
saying it didn’t cut levies President Barack Obama’s
enough for millions of part- health care law, Republi-
nerships and corporations. cans see a successful tax
With at least five other Re- effort as the best way to
publican senators yet to avert major losses in next
declare support, the bill’s year’s congressional elec-
fate is far from certain in a tions. House Republicans
chamber the GOP controls conceded they are watch-
by just 52-48. ing the Senate warily.
“Now is the time to deliv- “Political survival depends
er,” the White House said on us doing this,” said Rep.
in a written statement that Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. “One
underscored the party’s ef- of the things that scares
fort to maintain momentum me a little bit is that they’re
and outrace critics. Those going to screw up the bill
Senate Judiciary Committee

presses Kushner over Russia

WASHINGTON (AP) The top tion of documents he has
Republican and Democrat provided the committee is
on the Senate Judiciary “incomplete.” The commit-
Committee are saying tee gave Kushner a Nov.
President Donald Trump’s 27 deadline to provide
son-in-law hasn’t been the additional documents,
fully forthcoming with the including the forwarded
panel’s probe into Russian emails and Kushner’s se-
election interference, ask- curity clearance form that
ing him to provide emails originally omitted certain
sent to him involving WikiLe- contacts with Russian offi-
aks and a “Russian back- cials.Grassley and Feinstein
door overture and dinner are also asking Kushner for
invite.”Senate Judiciary correspondence with for-
Chairman Chuck Grassley mer national security advis-
and Democratic Sen. Di- er Michael Flynn, who is a
anne Feinstein sent a letter subject of an investigation
to Jared Kushner’s lawyer by special counsel Robert
Thursday saying the collec- Mueller. q