How Sen. Pat Toomey turned the Republican tax bill away from populism How Sen. Pat Toomey turned the Republican tax bill away from populismby wpjljron Thursday, December 28th, 2017.How Sen. Pat Toomey turned the Republican tax bill away from populismAs they scrambled to finish their sweeping tax bill in late October, House lawmakers arrived at a surprising decision: They wouldn’t cut the income tax rate for the wealthy. That choice broke with conservative economic principles, which call for lower rates for high earners to spur investment and boost the economy. But House leaders wanted […] As they scrambled to finish their sweeping tax bill in late October, House lawmakers arrived at a surprising decision: They wouldn’t cut the income tax rate for the wealthy.