Republican Congressmen to the White House. He urged them to support the new bill. Reagan assured them he would veto any bill containing rates higher than 35% and threatened them. He let them know that his high approvale ratings would get more Republicans in the house in the fall if the bill passed. If they did not follow his plan then they would not be able to count on him for support in their upcoming elections. This tough approach worked magnificently and the bill finally passed the House (Birnbaum).A bi-partisan effort was necessary for any such luck in the senate. Senator Bill Bradley (D-NJ) had been vying for a similar bill back in 1981 and he now saw the chance of his idea passing. Senator Bob Packwood (R-NE), more moderate than Majority Leader Bob Dole and many of his fellow Republicans, started out on a partisan course. He asked for over one billion in benefits to businesses to offset the shock the new bill Morris 13would create. An immediate rebuttal by House Speaker O’Neill and no backing from his collegues forced Packwood to quickly drop his idea. He signed on to a more moderate bill and, along with Bradley, the two offered up a bill to the Senate with new tax rates of 15%, 25%, and 35%. The Republicans and Democrats were satisfied. with the public demanding passage and the media swirling, the two bills went to Conference Committee and the Senate Bill ultimately passed. As Reagan had promised to his House colleagues, the top rate did not exceed 35%. President Reagan signed the Tax Reform Act of 1986 on October 22nd, 1986. The entire Congress had voted for the bill by a margin of 366 – 159, creating an image that the majority wanted this change. However, if it was not for the efforts of Reagan, Rosenkowski, O’Neill, Packwood, Dole, and Bradley, this bill would have barely made it out of the House hopper ( Birnbaum).The path the 1986 Tax Reform Bill took is a legitimate historical reference for...
