John McCain Heroically Decides to Help Pass One of the Most Destructive Tax Bills Ever

Senate Republicans pushing for a vote on their horrible, horrible tax plan later this week got a big win on Thursday from John McCain, who decided that he will vote for the bill.

Some opponents had hoped that McCain, who had previously voted against healthcare repeal, would be a “wild card” and potentially also vote against the tax plan. But his decision isn’t a surprise. McCain’s defining characteristic isn’t “wild card,” it’s “rich Republican white guy who will benefit from tax cuts.”

Despite waxing poetically about “regular order” and bipartisanship, McCain is voting for a bill that will use budget reconciliation rules so that passage only requires a simple majority of 51 votes rather than the usual 60. That conveniently means that the GOP leadership won’t need any Democrats to vote for the bill. And, despite his being assured that the “important bill was considered through the normal legislative process,” the plan is being rushed through with little analysis and debate. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin himself has repeatedly promised that the plan will result in economic growth, but according to The New York Times, “just one day before the full Senate prepares to vote on a sweeping tax rewrite, the administration has yet to produce the type of economic analysis that it is citing as a reason to pass the tax cut.”

This is because that analysis does not exist. The tax bill has been proven time and time again to be a war on the poor and a boon to the rich. Here’s the Times:

Economists and tax experts are overwhelmingly skeptical that the bills in the House and Senate can generate meaningful job growth and economic expansion. Many view the legislation not as a product of genuine deliberation, but as a transfer of wealth to corporations and affluent individuals — both generous purveyors of campaign contributions. By 2027, people making $40,000 to $50,000 would pay a combined $5.3 billion more in taxes, while the group earning $1 million or more would get a $5.8 billion cut, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation and the Congressional Budget Office.

And with McCain’s support, it looks more and more like one of the most destructive bills in our country’s history might pass without a hitch.