McConnell: Changes to tax law to fund infrastructure a ‘non-starter’

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday said that proposals to pay for infrastructure improvements by rolling back 2017 tax cuts were off the table, according to The Washington Post.

The Kentucky senator said that the tax bill was responsible for the “robust economy” and he would not back a plan to “step on growth.”

“That’s a non-starter,” McConnell told reporters when asked about the proposal. “This tax bill is what’s generated this robust economy, and the last thing we wanna do is step on all of this growth by stepping back and repealing, in effect, what has generated all of this prosperity and low unemployment.”

{mosads}Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) reportedly reached an agreement during a White House meeting Tuesday with President Trump to seek a deal on a $2 trillion infrastructure bill.

They said they did not reach an agreement with the White House on how to pay for the package, but vowed to meet in three weeks to brainstorm ideas on funding.

Other Republican leaders have also blasted the idea of revisiting the 2017 tax cuts to pay for the package.

“The common denominator, no matter what the subject the Democrats bring up, is a tax increase,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters before the meeting Tuesday. “[On] infrastructure, they’ll only agree to something unless they’re able to raise taxes.”

Congressional Republicans, none of whom were invited to the Tuesday meeting, have said they will only support an infrastructure package with no tax increases.

“Obviously, Speaker Pelosi didn’t go into the meeting with any pay-fors today,” House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) said.

“So at some point, they’re going to have to show how they would pay for it — we’ve been trying to negotiate with them on a bill that will be fully paid for, with no new taxes.”