Washington, March 25, 2017: House Republicans' failure to repeal Barack Obama's health care law deals a serious blow to another big part of President Donald Trump's agenda: tax reform.
Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., say they will soon turn their attention to the first major re-write of the tax code in more than 30 years. But they will have to do it without the momentum of victory on health care.
Just as important, the loss on health care will deprive Republicans of $1 trillion in tax cuts.
The GOP health plan would have repealed nearly $1 trillion in taxes enacted under Obama's Affordable Care Act. The bill coupled the tax cuts with spending cuts for Medicaid, so it wouldn't add to the budget deficit.
Without the spending cuts, it will be much harder for Republicans to cut taxes without adding to the federal government's red ink.