Paul Ryan’s First Tax Legislation Adds Nearly $100 Billion To Deficit

WASHINGTON — The first bills promoted by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) as the new chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee would add nearly $100 billion to the deficit over 10 years.

Ryan, a deficit hawk during his time as the chairman of the Budget Committee for the previous six years, made his fame proposing budgets that aimed to dramatically cut domestic spending and balance the budget within a decade.

But in his first legislative act as head of the committee that will be central to expected tax reform efforts over the next two years, Ryan pushed through a package of seven tax cut bills that would add $93.5 billion to the deficit in the next decade.

“Some of us really would like to have a tax reform compromise come out of here, and we hate to see pieces that could be sweeteners for somebody or other given away before you get to that final decision making,” said Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.).

Republicans passed similar measures in the last Congress that would have added more than $800 billion to the deficit over 10 years. The bills did not advance in the Democratic-controlled Senate. But if the full House passes them again this year, they would stand a much better chance in this Senate now that it is under the control of the GOP.

Michael McAuliff covers Congress and politics for The Huffington Post. Talk to him on Facebook.

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