Sen. John McCain says he wants bipartisan tax reform effort
Sep 26, 2017, 6:12 PM | Updated: Mar 1, 2018, 3:48 pm
(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, file)
(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, file)
PHOENIX — After Senate Republicans announced Tuesday that the latest effort to repeal and replace Obamacare would not come to a vote, a new issue came back to the forefront: Tax reform.
But Sen. John McCain said he is pushing for a tax reform effort that has bipartisan support and follows regular order, two major issues that the Arizona senator had with the Graham-Cassidy health care bill.
According to Bloomberg, McCain told reporters that Congress “needs to do [tax reform] in a bipartisan fashion. I am committed, as I’ve said before, to a bipartisan approach.”
In a statement released on Wednesday, McCain reiterated his comments, saying he is looking forward to releasing a “comprehensive tax reform plan” that is “good for Arizona and good for America.” He also praised the Senate Finance Committee for planning to hold a “full mark-up” of the tax bill.
“Throughout this process, senators will no doubt disagree, and we’ll engage in vigorous argument over how best to bring sanity to our complicated tax system,” part of the statement read. “But I’m confident that by moving through the normal legislative process, we can produce a bill that reforms our tax system, boosts our economy, and improves the lives of the people we serve.”
But Senate Democrats announced back in August that they want a new tax code that would ensure the middle class doesn’t pay more and the “top 1 percent” doesn’t pay less.
The senator himself also backed up his position to approaching health care reform in a bipartisan manner in a tweet on Tuesday, saying, “Now let’s return to regular order – hearings, open debate and amendments.”
Now let's return to regular order – hearings, open debate and amendments. https://t.co/NlTmMn79cX
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) September 26, 2017
McCain announced Friday that he would have voted no on the proposal due to the lack of debate, amendments and review by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office it was given.
McCain’s comments sparked a three-day smear campaign against the senator by President Donald Trump, who attacked him on Twitter and on an Alabama radio station in the days following the announcement.
But the senior senator brushed off the president’s remarks on Monday, telling reporters that he does not “react to what the president says. I react to the things he does.”
