News: Dan Conston, the former head of the House Republicans’ super PAC, is launching the American Job Creation Alliance, which will run ads to press members of Congress to not cap corporations’ state-and-local tax deductions.
The group, which is organized as a 501(c)(4), is launching a $750,000 campaign praising six GOP members of the Ways and Means Committee: Reps. Rudy Yakym (Ind.), Ron Estes (Kan.), Mike Carey (Ohio), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Max Miller (Ohio) and David Kustoff (Tenn.).
Here’s one of the spots in Fitzpatrick’s district. The group expects to spend significantly more money during the tax reform process.
Also: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce held a fly-in on Wednesday with CFOs and tax executives. Their goal was also to press House Republicans against creating a SALT cap for businesses.
The U.S. Chamber group met with aides to Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer. They also targeted members both on and off the tax committee, including Reps. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), John Joyce (R-Pa.), David Valadao (R-Calif.), Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Scott Fitzgerald (R-Wis.).
Mailbag: Dozens of Democrats sent a letter to Republican leadership urging them to stop trying to cut spending on Medicaid and crack down on Medicare “upcoding” instead. It’s Democrats’ latest move to put the GOP in a tough spot over cuts to federal health benefits but with a new twist: they’re offering an alternative.
– More than 80 House Democrats, led by Reps. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) and Ami Bera (D-Calif.), are pressing the Trump administration to resume the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza ahead of President Donald Trump’s Middle East trip.
– The Defend Main Street Growth Coalition sent a letter to Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune urging them to extend the 2017 Trump tax cuts, especially provisions favored by small businesses. The coalition also urged the GOP leaders to get moving on it already, please.
Amazon follow: Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) is introducing a bill today that would require larger retailers to display “in a clear and conspicuous manner” the portion of the cost attributable to Trump’s tariffs. Amazon was going to do this, as we scooped, but backed off after White House pressure.
