Republican tax cuts will hurt Americans. And Democrats will pay the price | Bruce Bartlett

The consequences of the tax program will shelve support for the Republicans, but once in power the Democrats' hands will be financially bound for years

I think many Democrats and independent political observers are puzzled by the intensity with which Republicans are pursuing their tax cut. It's not politically popular and may well lead to the party's defeat in next year's congressional elections. So why do it?

The answer is that Republicans are pushing the tax cut at breakneck speed precisely because they know they are probably going to lose next year and in 2020 as well. The tax cut, once enacted, however, will bind the hands of Democrats for years to come, forcing them to essentially follow a Republican agenda of deficit reduction and prevent any action on a positive Democratic program. The result will be a steady erosion of support for Democrats that will put Republicans back in power within a few election cycles.

Related: House Republicans pass major tax cut bill after Trump's closed-door speech

By 2022, Republicans will be back in control of Congress and in the White House by 2024

Related: The Resistance Now: activists plan to protest the Republican tax bill