Freedom Partners pushes Republicans to drop border adjustment, red-state Democrats to back tax reform

Freedom Partners, the free-market political nonprofit, is seeking to kill off the border adjustment tax with targeted web ads in the districts of lawmakers on the House Ways and Means Committee.

At the same time, the Koch brothers-affiliated group is launching ads Thursday leaning on Senate Democrats in red states to support tax reform, part of what it says is a multi-million dollar effort to back an overhaul of the tax code. Congressional Republicans and President Trump are working toward tax reform legislation currently.

Residents in the districts of Republicans such as House Ways and Means Committee Kevin Brady of Texas, and Rep. Peter Roskam of Illinois, the chairman of the subcommittee on taxes, will see web ads asking them to tell their lawmakers to "Drop the BAT," a reference to border adjustment.

The Koch network's sustained campaign against border adjustment, combined with a similar effort by retailers, has helped erode support for the idea, a proposal from House Speaker Paul Ryan and Brady.

Yet, the group also is trying to pressure Democratic senators in states Trump won to back tax reform. Senators such as Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Manchin of West Virginia will see ads in their states calling on them to "un-rig" the economy by supporting tax reform.