White House Appears to Soften on 20 Percent Tax Rate

The White House seemed to soften its stance on lowering the corporate tax rate to 20 percent Thursday as the tax reform debate drags on.

Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked during the daily briefing about whether President Donald Trump would back a plan to lower the corporate tax rate to 22 percent rather than 20 percent.

"Our focus has been on getting the lowest corporate rate possible," Sanders said. "Fifteen is better than 20, 20 is better than 22, and 22 is better than what we have. We are going to continue to push but we're not going to negotiate that from the podium.

"We are committed to getting the lowest corporate rate we can."

Trump would like the corporate tax rate to fall from 35 percent to 20 percent, but some Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill have said 20 might be too low and that 22 percent might be a better figure.

The other issue is that there are concerns about whether companies would hire more American workers with the money they save in taxes or simply keep the cash and put it in the bank.

• Mulvaney: White House Open to Small Changes on Corporate Tax Rate
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