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Uncommon Knowledge: Senator Portman on Why the New Tax Bill Helps the Middle Class
On Election Day in 2016, Donald Trump carried Ohio by eight percentage points. Our guest today carried the state by twenty-one. Senator of Ohio Rob Portman joins Peter Robinson at a special live taping of Uncommon Knowledge. They discuss the 2018 tax bill, the opioid crisis, the Parkland shootings, North Korea, and much more.
Senator Portman stands by his decision to vote for the new tax bill as he has seen the benefits right in his home state. He recounts several anecdotes of his constituents who have already seen benefits from the new tax bill. He tells the story of one small-business owner who is finally able to offer health care to her full-time employees because of the tax breaks for small businesses. He also discusses meeting with microbrewers who are now able to expand their facilities and grow their businesses because of the tax cuts.
Portman also discusses how the new federal budget helped the Department of Defense and the US military to build out their forces in order to project strength abroad. He explains ways that the Republicans and Democrats were able to compromise on increasing domestic discretionary spending so that they can also spend equally on defense. He recounts examples of bipartisanship in order to help Congress get work done.
Senator Portman goes into great detail about the opioid crisis‑a huge issue in his state. Portman is working hard to increase treatment programs for addicts to end the crisis. He tells a story about one young man he met who will be able to become sober and regain his life back because of the new treatment programs.
Peter Robinson takes the interview into a lightning round near the end of the program, asking Senator Portman quick questions for quick answers about his thoughts on the situation with North Korea, the Parkland shootings, conservatives and Donald Trump, and why Portman continues to be in public service. Portman ends the interview by explaining why public service matters to him more than making significantly more money in the private sector.
Senator Rob Portman is a junior senator for the state of Ohio. He has served as a senator since 2011. Senator Portman previously served as a US Representative, a United States Trade Representative, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Recorded on February 25, 2018
Published in Politics
Thank you for the topic and the speaker We are really needing ammo for our side of things. For instance, when we hear that the $ 1,000 per household means nothing.
The bleating from my sheeple Dem Party friends is always along the lines of : “After all, who in the middle class can buy a house or even a car with $ 1K ?”
However collectively that $ 500 to $ 1,000 a household means a lot. As the auto mechanics, landscapers, shoe salesmen and coffee house owners will tell you, because business booms when customers have some extra money.
Video link is broken.
Update: fixed now.
This would not be good ammo. We need to find some better argument.
As good as 1000 more is to the household or business that gets it, it is just that bad to the household or business that loses it.
Thanks to the child tax credit increase, plus our third baby due this year, we’re looking at $4000 more spending money this year. A huge boon!
As always a well-conducted, informative, and fascinating interview.
But, but, but, my lib friends would stutter, a family can’t buy a house for $ 4,000. So what good is that tax cut?
Apparently none on the left have ever thought in terms of aggregates. Or maybe they don’t know about multiplication. But when half the households in a region get a nice new tax break, it helps float all the boats in the area, not just yours, or mine or theirs.
Trump’s tax break also helps families just starting out. The same argument that is made by liberals to justify food stamps, that for every $ 1 offered to a person who spends said dollar in the community, the result is $ 1.02 in the local economy, can also be made for this tax break. And since it will help so many on such a level, I doubt very much it will end up costing the Fed government anywhere near the deficits prophesied by such “astute” economists as Krugman.