Listening to the concerns of the average American, Congressional Republicans announced on Thursday that they planned to keep popular tax deductions for student loans and medical expenses while adding a $10,000 cap to state and local tax deductions (SALT) in their tax bill. But ABC’s prominent Clinton lackey, George Stephanopoulos either didn’t get the memo or was out to mislead the public during Sunday’s Good Morning America because he claimed the GOP had eliminated SALT altogether.
“Okay. A great Christmas gift to middle-income people. Is that true,” GMA co-host Paula Faris asked Stephanopoulos in a skeptical tone that mocked President Trump’s description of the tax bill.
“It depends on where you live and how many kids you have. Broadly, generally, most middle-class people in most of the country will get some kind of a tax cut, with a couple of caveats,” Stephanopoulos asserted. “It could go down, or you could even see your taxes raised if you live in a high tax state like New York, New Jersey where the deduction for state and local taxes has been eliminated.”
That was the only tax discussion they had on GMA that morning. There was no mention of the popular deductions being kept in the bill nor the fact that every GOP senator was in support of the bill, as of Saturday, after the child tax credit was increased. With every Republican senator on board, it meant the bill would have generally smooth sailing for the first vote of the reconciled bill on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, on NBC’s Sunday Today, Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd dispelled Stephanopoulos’ claim about SALT. Todd wasn’t addressing him directly but did acknowledge that “essentially they took every criticism, every unpopular deduction that they got rid of, they seemed to restore, whether it was on tuitions, or health care, or even on state and local taxes. They didn't restore all of it but they restored some of it.”
But NBC had their own liberal bias going on. When describing the how GOP senators were now supporting the bill, host Willie Geist claimed that only “some of those Republicans who were sitting on the fence and holding out on the bill are now on board.” With every GOP senator saying they will vote to pass the bill, it meant that they could pass it even if Senators McCain and Cochran were unavailable due to medical treatment according to the National Review.
Todd also showed off some grade-A liberal hypocrisy by suddenly caring about the county’s deficit (emphasis his):
But what I can't figure out is where they paid for it. You know, they still have to stay within this $1.5 trillion deficit expansion limit that they've built in. So, the only thing that would derail this is if the math doesn't work as far as the congressional scorekeepers are concerned. And we find that out on Tuesday or Wednesday.
But according to the bill’s authors, it wouldn’t add to the deficit when economic growth was taken into account. Most economic analyses don’t view the economic impact in that dynamic way, say proponents of the GOP bill.
ABC’s lies were paid for by Geico, Stelara, PetSmart, NicoDerm CQ, IHOP, Macy’s, Tresiba, Honda, and Nissan.
Transcripts below:
ABC
Good Morning America
December 17, 2017
8:07:37 AM Eastern(…)
PAULA FARIS: Okay. A great Christmas gift to middle-income people. Is that true? What kind of political impact do you think this bill will have?
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: It depends on where you live and how many kids you have. Broadly, generally, most middle-class people in most of the country will get some kind of a tax cut, with a couple of caveats. It could go down, or you could even see your taxes raised if you live in a high tax state like New York, New Jersey where the deduction for state and local taxes has been eliminated. Number two, these personal income tax reductions actually expire after 2025. So people's taxes will go up over time. Once those tax cuts expire. Even though the corporate tax cuts are permanent.
(…)
...
NBC
Sunday Today
December 17, 2017
8:07:21 AM Eastern(…)
WILLIE GEIST: Let’s start with taxes. So, it looks like the vote comes on Tuesday. Corker on board, Rubio on board, Susan Collins on board. Some of those Republicans who were sitting on the fence and holding out on the bill are now on board. Is there any chance this bill does not become law before Christmas?
CHUCK TODD: I think the only thing that I'm curious to wait and see is what happens when the congressional budget scorekeepers finish with this. Willie, I was impressed with the political response that the Republicans in this conference committee did with this tax bill. Essentially they took every criticism, every unpopular deduction that they got rid of, they seemed to restore, whether it was on tuitions, or health care, or even on state and local taxes. They didn't restore all of it but they restored some of it.
But what I can't figure out is where they paid for it. You know, they still have to stay within this $1.5 trillion deficit expansion limit that they've built in. So, the only thing that would derail this is if the math doesn't work as far as the congressional scorekeepers are concerned. And we find that out on Tuesday or Wednesday.
GEIST: And they're pushing right up against it right now. $1.45 trillion as it stands right now.
