White House Legislative Director Hopes for Bipartisan Support for Tax Reform Bill
Legislative Affairs director Marc Short, acknowledging that the reconciliation process leaves little room for error, stated that he is hopeful some Democrats, including members of the Blue Dog Coalition and the Problem Solvers Caucus in the House, as well as red state Democrats in the Senate, will support the passage of a tax reform bill. Short expects that tax reform legislation will be drafted during the August recess with markups commencing immediately after Congress reconvenes in September, at which time the GOP will assess the potential for bipartisan support for the bill. If Congressional Republicans determine they need to utilize the budget reconciliation process to pass tax reform, the House and Senate will need to reach an agreement on a budget resolution incorporating reconciliation instructions. While the goal for tax reform is revenue neutrality, the White House legislative director suggested that it “…is not a top priority for the administration.” Short said he hopes Congress will present a final bill to President Trump in mid-November.