Senate demonstrates it is Swamp Thing
Of course none of the plans is what we would want in the long term; however, they were improvements. Trump put forward a relatively simple plan. The House made some modifications, but kept it simple. The Senate moved it back toward morass. Raising breaks for children and property taxes, and keeping AMT to pay the difference.
AMT could never be voted back in in it's present form. Originally developed to close loopholes allowing the richest to avoid taxes, it now only penalizes the highest performing workers, who haven't made it to independent wealth.
"Congratulations to you who have gotten to $400k/yr on your own. Now jump this last hurdle before you get the benefits of being one of us." By keeping this major revenue source, they avoid all the pressure being put on the highest earners in public arguments.
AMT could never be voted back in in it's present form. Originally developed to close loopholes allowing the richest to avoid taxes, it now only penalizes the highest performing workers, who haven't made it to independent wealth.
"Congratulations to you who have gotten to $400k/yr on your own. Now jump this last hurdle before you get the benefits of being one of us." By keeping this major revenue source, they avoid all the pressure being put on the highest earners in public arguments.
The senate should be ashamed, but that is true of everything they have done in the 21st century. Without ethics, they will never feel shame (although they do pretend to have shame on occasion and to accuse others of being shameful often.) Their unconstitutional actions (against their oaths) are utterly shameful.
Lawyers should not be eligible to run for federal office.
Government has been left to the so-called professionals and they have destroyed the freedom of individuals. Amateurs with conscience and integrity can't help but do a better job.
Ending the income tax and the federal reserve act are at least as important as this. If the fedgov still has funding to have vast powers they will create a massive powerful government with a powerful bureaucracy unanswerable to the people who are supposed to be masters of their government.