Tax Reform: Creating Jobs, Assisting Small Businesses

"OPIOID CRISIS COST $504B IN 2015, HIGHER THAN ONCE THOUGHT" - Darlene Superville, The Associated Press Darlene Superville of The Associated Press reports that the opioid epidemic "appears to be more expensive than previously thought," according to a new analysis by the White House Council of Economic Advisers. The report estimates that the actual cost of the crisis in 2015 was $504 billion, which clocks in at "more than six times the most recent estimate." The CEA explained the number is significantly larger because the epidemic has worsened at an alarming pace, with overdose deaths doubling in the past decade. The report comes a month after President Trump declared the opioid crisis a national public health emergency. Click here to read more ------------ Regarding tax reform, Rep. John Katko (R-NY) writes via Syracuse.com that he voted for tax reform because he wants to create jobs, give his constituents a tax break, and support local businesses' efforts "to invest in Central New York and our workforce." Rep. Katko says that manufacturers in his area "have long affirmed the need for comprehensive reforms," which is why they're backing the bill. ------------ In economic news, Bloomberg's Sho Chandra reports sales of existing U.S. homes rose 2 percent to a four-month high as buyers closed more deals in hurricane-hit Florida and Texas. "The momentum appears to be good," said National Association of Realtors' Chief Economist Lawrence Yun, adding that activity is "quickly bouncing back." ------------ On veterans' health, Ben Kesling and Peter Nicholas of the Wall Street Journal write that Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin wants private-sector providers "to play a larger role in veterans' health care." His department is looking to make the VA's hospital system more competitive, which would "give veterans greater choice over their health care." ------------ In news on the Islamic State, Bill Gertz of the Washington Free Beacon reports that a majority of regional branches or affiliates of ISIS and al Qaeda "have been suppressed, contained, or placed under pressure from global counterterrorism efforts, according to the U.S. Special Operations Command."