Grover Norquist is certain that Republicans will get tax reform done this calendar year and President Donald Trump "will win" on getting the corporate tax rate down to 15 percent.
The president of Americans for Tax Reform on Sunday guaranteed tax cuts across the board — including the wealthiest Americans — in 2017, though not retroactive to 2017.
Norquist's first big bet is that a 15 percent corporate tax rate will be a reality.
"I would bet large quantities of money that the president will win on 15 and the argument will be as follows: We need strong, dramatic growth now, in the next year," Norquist said on Fox News' "Sunday Mornings with Maria."
"Taking the corporate rate from 35 to 15 should be seen, not only as a tax cut, which it is, but it's also fundamental tax reform," Norquist said. "Then we don't have a lot of our international trade problems, it is reform."
Norquist praised the job numbers, but said "they should be double that."
And it will get done this year because Republicans need a win now in order to maintain their majority in the House in the 2018 midterms, especially now that healthcare has likely failed — again.
"Republicans must plan on asking Americans to judge them in 2018 on one big victory, not the expected two," Norquist wrote in a column, also for Fox News.
Norquist, however, does not think Republicans will be able to make tax cuts retroactive to 2017.
"I had hoped they would have said five months ago, whatever we do will be retroactive for 2017," Norquist said on Fox News. "They didn't do that and because they didn't, I think we're looking at tax cuts that are forward-looking only.
"But as soon as you take the corporate rate to 15, you will see tremendous changes in investment; all of that lovely 2-3 trillion overseas will flow back to the United States this year," Norquist said.
"Today there are $2.6 trillion earned by American companies overseas and stuck there because of stupid federal tax policy. Tax reform will bring those dollars back in a cascade of real investment in America," Norquist wrote.
"Passing tax reform without a single Democratic vote will remind Americans that there are two teams in Washington. One works for government and the other works for them. Democrats refer to tax hikes as income. Republicans know taxes are a cost imposed on American families. Pick your team," Norquist wrote.