By a party-line vote, the House Ways and Means Committee Thursday passed a Republican tax overhaul, sending it to the full House.
The top ranking Democrat on the committee, Springfield Congressman Richie Neal, criticized Republicans for dismissing Democratic ideas during hearings all week on the bill.
"I have never participated in a mark-up all these years in all these years in the House, where I was told more there was a genuine affection for me. I was highly regarded," Neal said in closing remarks. "They really loved my amendment. They thought it could be considered, but we're not going to vote for it."
The tax legislation would reduce the number of income brackets. Republicans promote the nearly $6 trillion measure as a boon to the middle class. Democrats, including Neal, argued that it's a tax bounty for the rich.
