Cohn: 'Unlike health care,' tax reform will be an inclusive process

White House economic adviser Gary Cohn signaled Friday that the administration’s approach to tax reform will be far more inclusive than its approach to health care was, thus easing the legislative load on a tax bill.

“We’re just starting down the path of taxes. And unlike health care, we are out talking to all the groups that are gonna be interested in our tax plan,” Cohn, director of the National Economic Council, told Fox Business on Friday morning. “We are out talking to all the groups that are gonna be interested in our tax plans.”


The new tack appears to apply a lesson learned from the health care rollout. Powerful conservative outside groups greeted Republican leaders’ initial version of the American Health Care Act, the legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare, with opposition when it was introduced in March. And, short of the requisite votes for passage, House GOP leaders yanked the bill from a scheduled floor vote later that month.

House Republicans, however, narrowly passed a revised bill Thursday in a victory for an administration short on legislative wins.

Cohn said he and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin began holding listening sessions “literally the day after” they introduced the contour of the administration’s tax plan late last month.

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“We started holding listening groups. We met with some of the conservative thought leaders,” Cohn said. “We’ve met with the Freedom Caucus. We’re continuously going out and meeting with groups. We’re gonna meet with industry groups. We’re gonna literally travel around and make sure we understand everyone’s concerns with taxes upfront.”

“By the time we get a bill drafted,” he said, “we’re gonna know everyone’s issues. We’re gonna have dealt with those issues, and we think it’s gonna make it substantially easier to get that through Congress.”