Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill Act could be GOP liability in the midterms : NPR

President Trump strikes a hammer after signing the Big Beautiful Bill Act at the White House on July 4.

Brendan Smialowski / Pool / AFP via Getty Images

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Brendan Smialowski / Pool / AFP via Getty Images

President Trump muscled a 900 -page package thanks to a closely divided congress – and that could have been the easy part.

The bill on taxes and politicians, which Trump has nicknamed the “One Big Beautiful Bill”, encompasses a large part of his program of the second mandate. Trump managed to sign it with his own deadline for July 4.

“We had so many things in there that no matter who you are, there was something in this bill which would make your Congress member or your Senator-or your Congress member, the most important-would raise his hand to support,” he said during the signing ceremony of the White House, referring in part to the crucial vote of the Alaska Republican the senator Lisa Murkowski.

But while adopting the law was a key legislative victory, the president and the republicans of the congress could face challenges when the package is sold to voters.

“It’s absolutely upside down. More people don’t like it that,” said Frank Luntz, a sounder who helped the Republicans with messages. “Republicans focused on the process -” do it.

The package has several of Trump’s campaign promises: to make many of its tax discounts in 2017 permanent, adding provisions for no tax on advice and overtime, and the increase in expenditure in application of immigration and the military. But its economic arrangements should start millions of people from health coverage and food aid, and the congress budget office provides for that it will add 3.4 dollars to the deficit in the next decade.

White House officials argue that the individual components of the law would be popular if people understood them. Luntz agrees. But if the Republicans cannot make this pitch stick, he said, they will have a problem halfway up next year. Trump highlighted the elements of the law at a meeting of the firm this week which was transported live on cable. But he also spent 15 minutes discuss the decor in the room.

Ron Bonjean, a republican communication consultant, said Trump had his job for him.

“He will have to repeat the advantages of the invoice over and over again, which is mainly”, I made sure that your taxes have not raised “, said Bonjean, adding that such rehearsal is generally one of Trump’s strong proceedings.

This emphasis is necessary because the major part of the tax reductions in this bill are in fact an extension of the lower rates which have been in place since 2018. About 80% of American families have seen their tax bill reduced when the initial reductions have been adopted in the tax on tax reductions and Trump jobs. But for the majority of taxpayers, the savings were not large enough to be obvious, said Vanessa Williamson, a principal researcher in governance studies at the Brookings Institution.

“At the end of the year, people look at their reimbursements. They do not wonder if during the year, $ 10 here or there were different,” said Williamson.

This is not a new phenomenon: During the George W. Bush administration, the government sent $ 300 delivery checks to people’s houses, but voters did not take long, “said Williamson. When the tax reductions were adopted at the start of the Obama administration, many voters actually thought that their taxes had increased. But Williamson said this package could be even more difficult to sell.

“One of the things that is really unusual in the bill this year, unlike the tax on tax reductions and jobs and unlike the lessees of bushes of bushes before, this time, they have linked tax reductions to expense reductions, and these are reductions that will affect everyday people,” said Williamson.

Democrats have been driving this message for weeks: that it is a law that will benefit the rich to the detriment of the working class.

An analysis of the Congressional Budget Office has revealed that the best-paid workers in the United States should be the largest winners of the package, while intermediate income families would see smaller gains and those at the bottom of the income scale would be less well off.

This law is like “trying to give people a bill for their own flight,” said Jesse Ferguson, a democratic strategist. “There is no way to convince people that it is a good idea to increase costs for health care, energy and food to give tax alleviation to people who are already rich.”

The Democratic groups are already broadcasting advertisements on the major bill and plan to highlight its disadvantages of the centerpiece of their efforts to reconquer the congress next year.

Trump is already trying to counter criticism. A few moments before signing the bill, Trump said: “And I just want you to know, if you see something negative extinguished by the Democrats, it’s all stupid work.”

In an interview with NBC Kristen Welker on Thursday, Trump said he would take a little road “to promote his bill, but he added:” Honestly, he was so well received that I don’t think I have to do it. “”