Rep. Costello Votes 'Yes' On GOP Tax Plan

WEST CHESTER, PA — U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello (R PA-6) announced on Tuesday afternoon that he had voted "yes" on the Republican tax plan, which was passed in the House of Representatives by a 227-203 vote. The vote passed largely on party lines, with most Democrats voting no and most Republicans voting yes.

The controversial bill, which has sparked heated national debate over the last few months, heads to the U.S. Senate for consideration. It still must pass the Senate in order to become law.

"To start and to be clear, this tax cut cuts taxes for low income Americans," Costello said. "Middle income families will benefit from lower rates, and doubling the child tax credit, to name just a few policies."

The controversial plan was supported by other local Pennsylvania Republicans, including U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan (R PA-7). It was vehemently opposed by U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D PA-13).

"It’s easy to see why Republicans created this catastrophic plan in secret, with zero public hearings or bipartisan input," Boyle said in November. "It’s a shameful betrayal of middle class families, who would see their own taxes raised in order to pay for trillions in tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest 1 percent."

If the bill becomes law, it will represent the first major legislative accomplishment since Republicans won control of the Congress and the White House. It will also be the largest step the GOP has taken to roll back Obamacare. The legislation eliminates the individual mandate to purchase health insurance, part of a long-standing Republican campaign promise.

The legislation has gone through many changes as both chambers of Congress have taken turns drafting the language. A conference committee settled on a final draft last week that appears to satisfy the vast majority of Republican lawmakers. The fundamentals of the bill include:

• Corporations get a massive permanent tax cut from 35 percent down to 21 percent.
• Many individuals and families will see their tax rates fall at first, but these cuts expire before the 10-year horizon of the bill expires.
• Several larger personal deductions are cut, which will likely cause some families and individuals to pay higher rates overall, even in the short term.
• The Affordable Care Act insurance mandate is repealed, a move which the Congressional Budget Office thinks will raise premiums and cause millions more people to be uninsured in the coming years.

Watch a live stream of the debate and votes above as the bill heads to the Senate. Read more about the details of the tax bill here.

With reporting from Patch White House correspondent Cody Fenwick

Image via Rep. Ryan Costello's Office