GOP group launches radio ads to boost tax reform push

A political nonprofit group aligned with House Republican leadership will spend $1 million on a radio ad campaign praising GOP lawmakers’ efforts to revamp the tax code.

American Action Network (AAN) will run radio ads in 34 congressional districts, supporting Republican members of House leadership, members of key tax-related committees and vulnerable incumbents representing swing districts.

The radio ads, some of which will air in Spanish, thank members for “fighting to cut taxes for working families and make our tax code simpler and fairer.”

The campaign is the latest push to drum up momentum for the Republican effort to cut personal and corporate tax rates, eliminate several deductions and increase the number of Americans paying taxes.

“When it comes to tax reform, middle-class tax cuts and eliminating special interest loopholes should be Congress’s number one priority. ” said Corry Bliss, AAN’s executive director. “We will continue to urge Congress to put American families and job creators first, members who fail to do so will be held accountable.”

Republican leaders are still trying to craft a plan that gets consensus support from House, Senate and administration leadership. While Republicans are united around basic tax reform principles, they’ve yet to agree on a formal legislative proposal or outline.

The GOP also faces challenges in passing whatever tax bill they produce through budget reconciliation, a process that would allow Republicans to avoid a Democratic filibuster in the Senate. Lawmakers will need to pass another budget resolution to try the process, and fights over funding President Trump’s border wall and several other programs could complicate the process.