Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is giving a thumbs-down to House passage of a bipartisan tax bill — grousing it only makes President Joe Biden "look good" and undermines GOP hopes to continue Trump-era tax cuts.
In remarks to reporters after passage, Grassley suggested presidential politics would likely loom large in the bill's fate in the Senate.
"Passing a tax bill that makes the president look good — mailing out checks before the election — which means he could be re-elected, and then we won't extend the 2017 tax cuts," Grassley told reporters, Axios reported Wednesday.
A 2021 child tax credit included monthly checks for qualifying parents, but they are not in the newly negotiated bill, NBC News noted.
According to NBC News, the GOP-controlled House Ways and Means Committee stated last week that under the legislation, the Biden administration would be "explicitly prohibited" from "manipulating the bill's tax relief in an attempt to send politically timed refund checks."
Grassley — a member of the Senate Finance Committee and previously its chair — took to social media to decry the roughly $79 billion tax deal, which would enhance the child tax credit for millions of lower-income families and boost three tax breaks for businesses.
In a scolding of government bureaucracy on X, Grassley bemoaned "waste fraud&abuse + bureaucratic inefficiencies" that are behind the lack of affordable housing.
"The driver behind lack of affordable housing isnt a shortage of federal programs (this may b a surprise 2 Budget Cmte Dems but its not climate either) One of the biggest probs is waste fraud&abuse + bureaucratic inefficiencies," he wrote.
"Ive uncovered lots of the above thru yrs of HUD/housing authority oversight U wouldn't believe the unchecked spending happening in some areas Think bloated salaries wining& dining travel and more," he continued.
He also wrote he's got a solution: "High inflation & interest rates r exacerbating affordable housing problems too Heres what govt can do: HUD MUST cut waste & Congress MUST cut spending."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Fran Beyer ✉
Fran Beyer is a writer with Newsmax and covers national politics.
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