With zero Democratic votes, GOP tax overhaul risks future challenges

Republicans’ tax overhaul bill is set for final passage with no Democratic votes in the Senate or House, raising the risk that Democrats will undo parts of the legislation if and when they return to power.

In that respect, this week’s passage of the GOP tax bill parallels former President Barack Obama’s enactment of healthcare legislation in 2010, which garnered no Republican votes in the final version. The partisan bill helped create the Tea Party and gave rise to the Republican majority in Congress. With Tuesday’s vote, the GOP is now poised to undo a major part of Obamacare by zeroing out its individual mandate.

By pushing the tax bill through in a partisan, rushed process, Republicans “have guaranteed significant instability in U.S. tax policy for many, many years to come,” said Oregon’s Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., warned that the bill would create tax cuts for big corporations while raising taxes on the middle class. “We don’t want to see that happen,” he said. “We’ll have to change some things.”

Speaking right after the House voted to pass the tax bill, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., rejected the possibility that the measure could come under siege the way Obamacare did.