By JOHN FLEISCHBERG and ELIZABETH M. LEEAssociated PressReuters – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that if Republicans don’t get their act together, he will slash investment into U.N. programs.
The remarks were part of an effort to woo business leaders to support tax cuts and other spending on infrastructure and public services as part of the 2018 budget.
Trump’s proposed $1 trillion in tax cuts are projected to raise $1.9 trillion in revenue, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation, which is part of Congress.
Trump has promised to slash taxes by more than $5 trillion over 10 years, with the plan expected to generate $10 trillion in additional tax revenue over the next decade.
Trump also said on Twitter that if the House and Senate do not agree on a tax cut package, he would call for the repeal of Obamacare and the replacement with something else.
“If they don’t give us a bill that works, I will call for a government shutdown,” Trump said.
The House and the Senate have been debating the plan, which Trump called “the largest tax cut in history.”
The House approved the plan by a vote of 232-212 last week.
The Senate has not voted on the bill, which was unveiled in September but did not pass in the full Senate.
The proposal includes several provisions that Trump has been opposed to, including a proposal to allow the use of a tax-exempt bond to help finance the U.NSILET, or Universal Social Insurance, a program that helps people buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.
The measure also would allow states to impose higher taxes on insurance companies that don’t offer insurance.
Republicans say the legislation would spur investment in the United States and help pay for the $1tn tax cut.
“I think that we are going to have a tremendous, tremendous impact on our economy,” Trump told reporters.
“It’s going to help a lot of people.”
Democrats and Republicans say the tax cut is a gift to billionaires, who would pay a lower tax rate than most Americans.
Trump said the tax cuts would help the middle class, as well as people with health problems.
“The fact is that a lot people can’t afford health care, and they’re going to be helped out by this tax relief,” he said.
Trump said the House had passed the bill with “major support” and the House will “work with the Senate to put it together.”
“We’re going, as we do every year, to work through the process to get it right,” Trump added.
The administration said in a statement that the House tax plan was “designed to encourage the creation of more jobs and economic growth.”