Republicans celebrated their first legislative win of the year Wednesday, after both houses of Congress passed a sweeping tax reform package.
But one Democratic congresswoman told Cheddar there’s still hope for constituents who remain opposed to the bill.
“Stay mobilized, let your voice be heard,” Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) said Wednesday morning, after the Senate voted, but before the House reconvened. “Nothing is permanent but death and taxes, and we can do something about these taxes and we can do something about the makeup of this Congress.”
The president and his party leaders gathered Wednesday afternoon to praise the benefits of the tax system overhaul, which drops the corporate tax rate from 35 to 21 percent, nearly doubles the standard deduction for individuals, and lowers the tax rate for most income brackets.
While the GOP says the long-overdue changes will provide a boost to the economy, Democrats dispute that claim and say the bill will largely benefit the wealthiest Americans and balloon the deficit.
The bill does appear to be broadly unpopular. A recent CNN poll found that 55 percent of respondents opposed the legislation, a 10 percentage point increase since last month. Still, it passed the House by a vote of 224-201 Wednesday afternoon, with only 12 Republican naysayers.
Republicans also took to Twitter to cheer the victory. President Donald Trump posted a gif that read “Tax Cut for Christmas”.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/rep-bonnie-watson-coleman-d-nj-says-voters-can-change-the-makeup-of-congress-in-2018).
More than 6.6 million people applied for unemployment benefits last week, according to new data from the Department of Labor.
Stocks are rising in early trading on Wall Street after the Federal Reserve launched its latest unprecedented effort to support the economy through the coronavirus outbreak.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has new guidance for essential workers as it takes a small step toward reopening the country.
By Wednesday, day four of the program, some $80 billion of the $350 billion promised to small businesses in relief loans had been processed. But few lenders, if any, have begun funding any loans, meaning it could still be weeks before businesses receive the relief they desperately need right now.
Stocks are up 3% on Wall Street as investors focus on the optimistic side of data about the coronavirus outbreak’s trajectory.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy Wednesday announced an executive order expanding the scope of the state's coronavirus restrictions.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that 779 people in the state have died in a single day, marking another solemn milestone as the state fights to slow down the devastation of COVID-19.
Entrepreneur, NBA owner, and Shark Tank investor Mark Cuban told Cheddar on Wednesday that the coronavirus pandemic could signal a shift in the U.S. economy toward workers.
Bernie Sanders, who saw his once strong lead in the Democratic primary evaporate as the party’s establishment lined swiftly up behind rival Joe Biden, has ended his presidential bid.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said the Golden State had managed to secure a monthly supply of 200 million N95 respiratory and surgical masks, opening up the possibility of helping other states struggling to secure protective supplies.
