House passes tax reform package

WASHINGTON—House Republicans passed their massive tax reform package Thursday, moving the GOP one step closer to a historic overhaul of the U.S. tax code, which has not seen major changes since 1986. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed comfortably with a 227-205 vote. Thirteen Republicans joined every House Democrat to vote against the bill. All but one of the GOP defectors came from high-taxed blue states like California, New York, and New Jersey, whose representatives wanted to preserve the deduction for state and local taxes. Republicans are under pressure to deliver a tax reform bill to President Donald Trump’s desk by Christmas. Trump huddled with the Republican conference for a pep talk Thursday morning. All eyes now turn to the Senate, where the legislation faces more hurdles and the GOP has a slimmer margin for error. Complicating the path forward, Senate leaders decided this week to insert a repeal of Obamacare’s individual mandate in its version of the tax bill. But for now, House Republicans are celebrating. “The powers of the status quo in this town are so strong,” House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said after the vote. “Yet 227 men and women of this Congress broke through that today.”