By Eric Stock
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said there are some parts of the Republicans’ proposed tax overhaul that he could support, but not enough to earn a ‘yes’ vote.
Durbin told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin it’s impact on health insurance is one of the worst parts.
PODCAST: Listen to Scott’s interview with Durbin on WJBC.
“To make a chance in the Affordable Care Act, which is going to raise the premiums on health insurance and according to the Congressional Budget Office eliminate health insurance coverage for 13 million Americans,” Durbin said. “It’s a terrible bill. No, I wouldn’t vote for it if I found a half-dozen things I liked.”
Durbin said he supports doubling the child tax credit, but he questions why benefits to middle-income families are temporary while benefits to higher-income earners and businesses would be permanent.
Final votes on the bill are expected this week. Durbin said the GOP is rushing the measure through to claim a legislative victory this year.
Net neutrality
Durbin called the Trump administration’s move to end net neutrality a ‘disaster’ and call on the public to make it be restored.
Durbin said the Obama-era rule was intended to protect the online consumer from internet providers that could gouge customers. He dismissed comparisons with cable television because he says cable companies face more competition.
“The streaming opportunities are going to change the face of cable TV, not so when it comes to the general access to the internet,” Durbin said. “This decision on net neutrality is gong to close the doors and make them pretty darned expensive to open for a lot of people across America.”
Durbin guaranteed that Congress or the Federal Communications Commission would restore net neutrality if enough people speak up about it.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
