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Montana politics, elections and legislative news

Tester Criticizes Federal Tax Overhaul Plan

Senator Jon Tester (D) - Montana
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Montana Senator Jon Tester.

Yesterday Republicans pushed a massive tax overhaul through the U.S. House, now a similar plan will be debated in the Senate. Like the House measure, it would slash the corporate tax rate and reduce personal income tax rates for many.

But Montana’s Democratic Senator, Jon Tester, isn’t a fan.

"It has some serious problems in that it adds $2.2 trillion to the debt," said Tester. "It does some pretty serious stuff for cutting Medicare and Medicaid, increases taxes on some middle class families."

Tester also alleges there haven’t been any opportunities for public input, the GOP hasn’t reached across the aisle to Democrats and the legislation is a rush job.

"There’s just a lot of work that needs to be done here that’s not being done and I’m very, very concerned," said Tester.

Republicans are hoping to send a compromise bill to President Donald Trump’s office by Christmas, but they’re struggling to get support from some GOP members in the Senate.

Montana’s Republican senator, Steve Daines, was unable to comment before deadline.

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