When the bloated, idiotic, job-killing and wasteful U.S. tax code is finally reformed, no one will cheer louder than I. The tax code with its endless array of incentives to do what the government wants you to do, and punishments for when you don’t, is an abomination.   

I wish that now were the right time for Congress to tackle tax reform but alas, it is not. That joyful day when the tax code can fit on a post card will have to wait.

To think that a Congress which has spent 6 months bumbling unsuccessfully to try and pass a health care bill is suddenly going to come together and pass tax reform is beyond wishful thinking. After repealing Obamacare 50 times when it didn’t count, they lost their nerve and weren’t willing to compromise when it did count.  Why would anyone think that tax reform will be any different?

Actually, tax reform will be harder. Tax cuts are relatively easy but to really simplify the tax code and keep the law “revenue neutral”, they also need to cut tax deductions. Name a deduction and there is a well-funded lobby that will come out of the woodwork to defend it. Thus, instead of facing unruly groups of penniless Medicaid patients at Town Halls, Congressmen will face organized revolts, and the loss of funding, by their largest corporate donors.  The result will be that we will waste another 6, or 9 months without anything getting done.

We will then already be well into 2018 and the midterm election campaign will begin with no substantive accomplishments to boast about, As a result, Republicans will be easy pickings for Democrats. A Democratic takeover of either house of Congress in 2018 will force the President to start working with Democrats and that will be the end of our Conservative dream of finally shrinking the government.

I have a better idea. Let’s do some of the easier things now, build momentum for 2018 and tackle both tax reform and health care in 2019 after we have held the House and increased our majority in the Senate. That doesn’t mean we completely ignore taxes now For example, we can cut the Corporate tax rate without getting into a major tax reform fight. Lower corporate taxes will benefit everyone by immediately bringing back jobs to America and keeping them here.  However, the more controversial stuff should be set aside for another time.

So our choice is clear. We can try to do tax reform now and probably fail. Even if we succeed, the Democrats will demagogue our success as a giveaway to the rich. Either way, our majority in Congress is at risk in 2018. Alternatively, we can focus on passing a budget that will Make America Great Again and dare the Democrats to oppose us on popular items like infrastructure, rebuilding the military and strengthening the borders.

I’ve waited this long. I can wait until 2019 to celebrate true tax reform.