Late Thursday night, after hours of arduous debate, Senators took the crucial first step toward tax reform with a narrow margin vote of 51-49 to pass the fiscal 2018 budget. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was the only holdout from the GOP who cast a no vote. The move gives President Trump the air he needs to breathe life into his campaign promise to cut taxes and simplify the tax code.
On Sunday, President Trump wrote an op-ed piece in USA Today titled, "With tax reform, we can make it morning in America again." The optimistic message was nostalgic and reminiscent of the last time we experienced tax reform and highlighted the benefits felt by American families and the economy.
Trump said, “the country has the benefit of hindsight as we look back at the three decades since our country's last major tax reform," and added, "we can see what worked and what did not. Moreover, most importantly, we can apply the lessons learned to the challenges of today,"
TRUMP DRAWS PARALLELS BETWEEN PAST AND PRESENT
He went on to draw parallels between the past and present by hitting on themes that he strongly supports:
“Today is the anniversary of former president Ronald Reagan signing into law the Tax Reform Act of 1986. The act was the second major law he signed to reform the tax code for the American people."
"Republicans and Democrats came together to cut taxes for hardworking families in 1981, and again in 1986 to simplify the tax code so that everyone could get a fair shake. The rest, as they say, is history."
"It was a time of extraordinary optimism — it was true 'Morning in America,' an economic miracle for the middle-class.”
Trump said the U.S. economy boomed, the median family income rose, and more American products reached foreign shores with the words "Made in the USA."
REVISING TAX CODE IS MORAL DISCUSSION
President Trump stated that, “a lot has changed since then, especially when it comes to taxes.” He added, “America is among the highest-taxed nations in the developed world, and the country's tax code and laws have tripled in length since the 1986 reforms.”
The president said, “revising our tax code is not just a policy discussion — it is a moral one because we are not talking about the government's money – we are talking about your money, your hard work.” He wrote that his administration is taking action to "dramatically reduce the burden that the sprawling federal tax code has become on our citizens."
He continued, "our plan will transform the tax code so that it is once again simple, fair and easy to understand," and "we want you to spend your valuable time pursuing your dreams, not trapped in a tax compliance nightmare."
Trump took the opportunity to list some of his accomplishments since taking office which included the removal of regulations on business and trade, action on bad business deals like the Paris climate agreement, and his executive order to “free our people from the grip of ObamaCare.”
With unemployment at a 16-year low and wages rising, he wrote:"the optimism has returned — the sun is once again rising over America.” He then added that the economy could not take off like it should unless we transform our outdated, complex and burdensome tax code, and that is “exactly what we are proposing to do.”
REAL REFORM FOR REAL PEOPLE
Of course, the naysayers have already begun to weigh in on this article; they are complaining that the tax plan is catastrophic and that those who support it are just as delusional as the president. They have no alternative solutions to bring to the table and espouse negative propaganda that is nothing but leftist rhetoric and quite frankly, “getting old.”
For me, the article took me back to the mid 80’s, my husband and I were in our twenties with two young children, one income and wondering how to navigate double-digit interest rates and an economy on the brink of failure.
Enter President Reagan with a tax plan and a message of hope. By the early 90’s we were able to save money, buy our first home, raise our children comfortably and as many others did, we enjoyed “the American Dream.” Today, as a young grandmother, all I want is the same opportunity for my children and their families. If President Trump gets his way, he just might make it happen!
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