Roy Blunt: “let me first agree with the point that the Senator from South Carolina just made about the importance of passing a tax…”

“let me first agree with the point that the Senator from South Carolina just made about the importance of passing a tax bill this year. He made the point--and if he didn't, I will make it--that if we don't pass a tax bill this year or at least get most of the way there--I hope we get done with this tax process this year. If we don't get that done, I think we won't have another opportunity to pass a tax bill in the next 4 years. On the other hand, if we do pass a tax bill this year, we will have the incentive to take a second look in 2019, maybe 2020, but probably in 2019. The point I am making is, we don't have to do everything that could possibly be done to improve the Tax Code this year to take an important step. But if we don't take that important step, my belief is we are likely not going to have the kind of tax relief that working families need in the next 4 years. So not only is the pressure on the Republican Senate, the Republican House, and a White House that wants to work with us to get this done, but the pressure should be on everyone who cares about hard-working families. And the pressure should be on everyone who wants to see tax relief for those families happen. We need to understand that it needs to happen now. Fights that can't be won in the next few weeks can be won in this Presidential term but only if we take this step successfully right now. As the Senator from South Carolina and others have pointed out, this is an important two-step process.…”