WEBVTT - Former Rep. Kevin Brady (R) Texas Talks Tariffs, Budget Plan

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news.

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<v Speaker 2>The tariff is a tax increase.

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<v Speaker 3>It's a tax that applies to imported goods and the

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<v Speaker 3>United States, so it burdens US importers.

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<v Speaker 2>There's no way that it's a tax cut.

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<v Speaker 3>It increases revenue, it increases the tax burden in the

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<v Speaker 3>US economy.

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<v Speaker 4>Rookie York in the Tax Foundation on the early edition

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<v Speaker 4>of Balance of Power yesterday talking about how tariffs might

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<v Speaker 4>impact impending tax policy. Because you know, we're doing it

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<v Speaker 4>all at once right now in Washington, joining us as

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<v Speaker 4>Kevin Brady, former US Congressman from Texas, spokesman for the

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<v Speaker 4>Alliance for Competitive Taxation, of course, former chair of the

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<v Speaker 4>House Ways and Means Committee.

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<v Speaker 2>It's great to see you in town.

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<v Speaker 4>I don't know if you're hearing anything on what we're

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<v Speaker 4>going to learn tomorrow, but everybody's trying to get a

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<v Speaker 4>sense of what this announcement will be from President Trump.

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<v Speaker 4>Whatever it is will help the color the debate around taxes.

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<v Speaker 4>Right We've started this whole process talking about tariffs helping

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<v Speaker 4>to raise revenue to cover the cost of tax cuts.

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<v Speaker 2>Will that be fulfilled tomorrow?

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<v Speaker 5>You know, likely, not necessarily. I think people are hoping

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<v Speaker 5>that tariffs will be short and uses leverage to bring

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<v Speaker 5>countries to the table with better resolution on issues, including

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<v Speaker 5>lower tariffs. I think people are hopeful it's not a

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<v Speaker 5>high universal tariff that is permanent nature, which will cause.

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<v Speaker 2>A lot of economic damage.

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<v Speaker 5>But I think the point is for all the uncertainty

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<v Speaker 5>that's around tariffs seems to be in every sector and

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<v Speaker 5>lots of families around the country.

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<v Speaker 2>It really drives home the.

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<v Speaker 5>Need for certainty within the tax coat. And I think

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<v Speaker 5>really the pace that the Houses Senate are moving forward

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<v Speaker 5>on recognizes as sooner they get this done, the better.

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<v Speaker 5>They've still got some big hurdles. This is a hard

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<v Speaker 5>This is a hard job in the best of times.

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<v Speaker 5>With the near zero majority in the House, a higher

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<v Speaker 5>degree of difficulty in a bigger way depths and depthsits matter.

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<v Speaker 5>So yeah, there's a lot of challenges ahead. But I

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<v Speaker 5>think I really command the House Senate tax writers. They

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<v Speaker 5>are moving as fast as as it's allowed.

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<v Speaker 3>But are they moving in the same direction, rowing in

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<v Speaker 3>the same boat to an extent that will allow this

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<v Speaker 3>process to move quickly?

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<v Speaker 5>Ultimately they will, I'm confident they will. But the Housan,

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<v Speaker 5>you know, they are different personalities and they move different.

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<v Speaker 2>Ways and different rules.

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<v Speaker 5>So I think the Senate this week looks to be

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<v Speaker 5>sort of advancing their idea. I think some of us

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<v Speaker 5>thought that the next step would be the two houses

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<v Speaker 5>have reconciled sort of the design. What I always said

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<v Speaker 5>was reconciliation was the runway you landed tax reform on.

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<v Speaker 5>So they're definitely two different architects, different designs at this point. Ultimately,

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<v Speaker 5>I think important for the Senate to act in advance

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<v Speaker 5>like the House has. But as sooner they they in

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<v Speaker 5>the White House get on the same page, the better.

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<v Speaker 4>You're in an interesting moment here, as you've been spending

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<v Speaker 4>time in Washington now for months, getting closer to the

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<v Speaker 4>finish line to extend or make permanent the Trump tax cuts.

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<v Speaker 2>That's been your charge.

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<v Speaker 4>But she heard Eric Yorke's comment when we're coming into

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<v Speaker 4>this this conversation, you're taking that amount away from individuals

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<v Speaker 4>and businesses in the private economy. By any definition, this

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<v Speaker 4>is a tax increase. So we could be in a

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<v Speaker 4>world where they cancel each other out.

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<v Speaker 2>So I hope not.

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<v Speaker 5>You know, I actually think tariffs are a tax, but

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<v Speaker 5>worse economical because not only do they drive up prices,

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<v Speaker 5>really distort the economy and slow it down. In most cases,

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<v Speaker 5>it invites retaliation on our made in America workers, you

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<v Speaker 5>know what I mean, in a big way. And as

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<v Speaker 5>you know, it's not enough to buy American. You need

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<v Speaker 5>to sell American all throughout the world. Tens of millions

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<v Speaker 5>of jobs depend upon our ability to do that successfully.

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<v Speaker 5>The tax code plays a key role on ADVI. Tariffs

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<v Speaker 5>really change the whole dynamics there Again, I think that's

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<v Speaker 5>why people are hopeful and why policymakers, I think Congress

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<v Speaker 5>are given the President.

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<v Speaker 2>A bit of a honeymoon here.

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<v Speaker 5>You know, I mean to unveil this strategy, which we're

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<v Speaker 5>going to see a lot of it tomorrow. But they're

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<v Speaker 5>very nervous about the impact on prices, the economy, and

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<v Speaker 5>their workers, especially because our trade agreement with Canada and Mexico,

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<v Speaker 5>the most consequence trade agreement on the planet, has worked beautifully,

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<v Speaker 5>was renegotiated under President Trump. And not only is it

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<v Speaker 5>to create about seventeen million jobs in the US that

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<v Speaker 5>give us more affordable prices, more affordable cars, and allows

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<v Speaker 5>us to combine our strengths to compete better against China.

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<v Speaker 5>So Yeah, lots of stake and all these announcements well and.

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<v Speaker 3>Clearly, sir, you are a big advocate for the USMCA.

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<v Speaker 3>When you hear the language now coming out of Canadian

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<v Speaker 3>Prime Minister Mark Karney about this having fundamentally altered the

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<v Speaker 3>relationship between Canada and the US, do you think that's

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<v Speaker 3>just posturing because he has to put up a show

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<v Speaker 3>of force against these policies or is this actually going

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<v Speaker 3>to be hard to come back from.

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<v Speaker 2>It's going to be difficult to come back.

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<v Speaker 5>This is such a strong partnership economically and integration has

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<v Speaker 5>worked for all of our strengths. It's tough to hear about,

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<v Speaker 5>you know, being named the fifty first state.

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<v Speaker 2>Or sort of the rhetoric around this.

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<v Speaker 5>It's having an impact in both of our borders as well.

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<v Speaker 5>So I think the sooner that we can come to

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<v Speaker 5>the table and work through these issues. Certainly, Mexico can

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<v Speaker 5>agreement with America is almost near zero tariffs on most products,

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<v Speaker 5>pretty low barriers. Not perfect. You know, we've had trade tensions.

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<v Speaker 5>We have to resolve those, but we should never forget

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<v Speaker 5>because of our strengths. Putting them together, we compete better

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<v Speaker 5>against China. We compete better against the world. That matters

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<v Speaker 5>a lot to jobs and prosperity.

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<v Speaker 4>You mentioned the thin Republican majority in the House right now.

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<v Speaker 4>I suspect that's when you couldn't have imagined while you're there.

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<v Speaker 4>There are a couple of special elections in Florida today,

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<v Speaker 4>House races where it appears that Republicans will hold two seats,

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<v Speaker 4>one from held by Matt Gates, the other Mike Waltz,

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<v Speaker 4>the President's national security advisor. But that's sixth District race,

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<v Speaker 4>the Waltz seat, the district Donald Trump won by more

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<v Speaker 4>than thirty points. You've got a Republican said to be

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<v Speaker 4>on the ropes here and might scrape out a close victory.

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<v Speaker 4>This is being framed by some as a proxy as

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<v Speaker 4>a statement on the Trump policies.

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<v Speaker 2>Do you see it that way? Or are we reading

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<v Speaker 2>into this too? Yeah?

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<v Speaker 5>I don't great question. I don't don't know. I don't

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<v Speaker 5>know that race quite that will have been following it

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<v Speaker 5>closely like everyone else has. So I just think these

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<v Speaker 5>special elections get a lot of attention, and then when

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<v Speaker 5>they don't really you know, come out, they're quickly forgotten.

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<v Speaker 2>You know what I mean? That's right, you know they

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<v Speaker 2>tend to work back to the norm.

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<v Speaker 5>I think that'll happen again, but sure, I think Republicans

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<v Speaker 5>and Democrats from paying attention every election at this point.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, and there won't be a third special election for

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<v Speaker 3>at least next top president was a little bit concerned

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<v Speaker 3>about holding onto that one. Therefore he's keeping her in

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<v Speaker 3>the House rather than you an ambassador. But an issue

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<v Speaker 3>in her district in New York, really all of New

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<v Speaker 3>York and other high tax states that we often talk

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<v Speaker 3>about with you is the salt cap. And Bloomberg is

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<v Speaker 3>reporting today that they're looking at Republicans in Congress are

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<v Speaker 3>looking at raising it to twenty five thousand dollars from

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<v Speaker 3>the current ten thousand dollars. I wonder if that's in

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<v Speaker 3>line with what you're hearing, and if you think that

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<v Speaker 3>is enough to pacify the salt Gaucus will still keep

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<v Speaker 3>in conservative hardliners in line.

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<v Speaker 5>Well, it should be, because it's a huge increase.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, both dollar wise and the impact on the.

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<v Speaker 5>Tax bill itself is going to be significant. It is

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<v Speaker 5>certainly a huge expansion of what is basically one of

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<v Speaker 5>the biggest subsidies who've gotten the tax coat, you know,

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<v Speaker 5>on the individual side, of that, and so I would

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<v Speaker 5>think for the high tax states, again, who's most of

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<v Speaker 5>taxpayer's overwhelming got a tax cut, that is a huge number,

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<v Speaker 5>I think, probably bigger than I thought it would be, frankly,

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<v Speaker 5>but I think it's going to be very careful, very

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<v Speaker 5>important for them to arrive at that consensus number between

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<v Speaker 5>Republicans the House, Senate, and the White House. The sooner

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<v Speaker 5>they do that, the better they're able to move the

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<v Speaker 5>whole package.

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<v Speaker 4>For There are a few stories that we could ask

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<v Speaker 4>you about that tend to get more attention from our

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<v Speaker 4>viewers and listeners are subscribers at Bloomberg. The salt story

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<v Speaker 4>gets a read spike every time it hits the terminal here.

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<v Speaker 4>Does that number sound like something that will bring members

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<v Speaker 4>of the Salt Caucus over because you can explain they're

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<v Speaker 4>needed to pass any final bill.

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<v Speaker 2>Right.

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<v Speaker 5>So, I think given that there are a number of

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<v Speaker 5>Republicans who believe the salt tax numbers should be zero,

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<v Speaker 5>that everyone should just pay their own state and local taxes,

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<v Speaker 5>that would be that would be a big give to

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<v Speaker 5>I think the publican members from the high tax states.

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<v Speaker 5>So you know, if that is the number that would be,

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<v Speaker 5>that would be a huge win for them.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't know that's the case.

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<v Speaker 5>You hear about a doubling to twenty thousand and I

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<v Speaker 5>guess one question is that twenty five thousand four all

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<v Speaker 5>incomes or for some You know, there's lots of ways

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<v Speaker 5>to sort of target those things because so much the salt.

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<v Speaker 2>Goes to the million dollar household.

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<v Speaker 5>So yeah, still more details I think need to be known, and.

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<v Speaker 2>The details do matter.

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<v Speaker 3>Kevin Brady, former chair of the House Ways and Means Committee,

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<v Speaker 3>and spokesperson for the Alliance for Competitive Taxation, Thank you

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<v Speaker 3>so much, as always for joining us.