Chapter 733: Chapter 367: Joy and Worry at the White House_2
“Hello to all the viewers watching on television, this is CW Network…”
Since the New York Observer had first broken the news that David hadn’t been assassinated, the paper had suddenly become much more credible.
And it was this media outlet that had first exposed this piece of legislation.
What was even more shocking was that, following the New York Observer’s revelation, news stations across the nation also scrambled to follow suit, instantly causing an uproar throughout the country.
“Good grief, I was wondering why there had been no news about Chief Inspector David lately. Turns out he was busy with this legislation?”
“According to the media reports, once this bill gets introduced, major corporations will no longer enjoy tax exemptions. This is literally life or death for them. It looks like there’s going to be quite a show!”
...
“Chief Inspector David is really ruthless; this bill touches upon the interests of all capitalists. They’re definitely going to hit the roof!”
…
America is a capitalist country, and this legislation could be said to impact the interests of all capitalists.
So when they heard about this legislation, all the citizens realized that an interesting spectacle might be on the horizon!
The White House.
Inside the President’s office, Payden was busy with affairs of state when suddenly Wylder burst in and said, “Mr. President, there’s been a major development.”
“What’s the big issue?”
Since the White House Chief of Staff uttered the words “there’s been a major development,” it was clearly no small matter, making Payden’s expression turn somewhat grave.
“According to media reports, the Internal Revenue Service is pushing for a bill, which for now we’ll call the ‘Foreign Tax Avoidance Bill’. The provisions of this legislation would mean that places like the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands… these tax havens… they’ll no longer have any tax exemptions or perks…”
“What did you say!”
Even Payden, as the President of the United States, was taken aback.
As it happened, most of the well-known companies in America had their registrations in these tax havens.
Wouldn’t the introduction of this so-called Foreign Tax Avoidance Bill be like a knife to the artery of these companies?
“Wait…”
Suddenly remembering something, Payden asked, “Is this information actually true, or is it a fabrication by those people looking to put the Internal Revenue Service on a hot seat?”
“Although it has yet to be confirmed… I believe it’s true.”
“How so?”
“These past few days, as I’ve been handing over work with some of the congressmen, I got wind of some rumors from several people saying David had talked to them, but when it came to what was discussed, each one of them had a troubled expression and wouldn’t say a word. I couldn’t well break the pot to ask what happened, but I did infer that the matter discussed was undoubtedly a difficult one for them. Combined with the current media reports about this legislation, it seems to add up!”
Hearing Wylder’s comments, the wrinkles on Payden’s brow deepened.
Indeed, such legislation would definitely put these congressmen in a hard position.
Even if David hadn’t resorted to coercion and seduction, he didn’t believe that there would be any of the congressmen who would dare to support such a bill.
“Besides the congressmen, The Big Three Groups have indeed been acting very irregularly lately, as if they’ve been anxious and tense over something. Now, considering this bill, do you think that explains it?”
“That’s what I’ve been saying – how David could have been the target of an assassination by The Big Three Groups and yet kept so quiet. It’s just not like him. Now, I understand!”
Payden laughed helplessly.
“Yeah, I have to admit, his move is really vicious. If he really succeeds, The Big Three Groups are going to bleed profusely.”
“Wylder, how many congressmen do you think he has managed to rally?”
“I may not know the exact number, but judging from The Big Three Groups’ anxious behavior, it’s definitely not a small figure,” David remarked.
Hearing this, Payden’s face darkened.
To push a bill was no simple matter; it needed at least the support of 218 Congressmen in the House of Representatives and 51 Senators in the Senate.
And with David’s tactics, it really couldn’t be said for certain that the boy wouldn’t be able to handle the Senate and House of Representatives.
But what really worried Payden was that if David really did win over the Senate and House of Representatives and presented the bill before him, would he sign it or not?
If he signed, it would offend all the capitalists in America.
But if he didn’t sign, it would offend David.
If, in a fit of rage, the boy threw in the towel and quit, then Payden’s plans to promote other popular bills to woo public support would be ruined.
This truly was a dilemma!
“Wylder, this bill isn’t just going to put the Internal Revenue Service on the hot seat, it’ll do the same to us at the White House. What are your thoughts?”
After thinking for a good while and finding no proper solution, Payden could only turn to his Chief of Staff.
“Since you’ve asked, sir, I’ll share my thoughts!”
“If this bill really passes, the annual tax revenue it could bring in wouldn’t just be billions or even trillions; it might well exceed trillions.”
“And, sir, as you know our current financial situation in America, with such a huge sum of tax money being injected, our fiscal condition would be instantly resolved—truly resolved, not just a stopgap measure!”
“Let’s think boldly for a moment, with such an amount of money, not to mention the child care bill we planned to push forward earlier, if you wanted to propose any new bill, we would financially be able to afford it!”
“By then, our term at the White House could possibly be the wealthiest in history, and with these achievements on display, I dare say the next election would be meaningless, because you are guaranteed to be reelected!”
Wylder had reached his position as Chief of Staff at the White House not just because of intelligence, but also vision.
He was very clear that while the bill would indeed make all capitalists jump, if set aside those factors, the biggest beneficiary would actually be the White House.
Of course, that was provided the White House could withstand all the pressure and sign the bill into law.
Payden, in the meantime, shifted from furrowing his brows to deep contemplation. If one observed closely, one could notice flickers of interest crossing his contemplative visage.
Age aside, after his Chief of Staff had highlighted the situation, he began to realize the benefits this bill could bring.
Indeed, for years, America’s finances had been running at a deficit.
If he could reverse this situation during his tenure, this accomplishment would not only secure his reelection but also possibly elevate his ranking among past Presidents of the United States in the annals of history.
Why did President Kennedy, years ago, undertake various reforms and even entertain the idea of bringing the Federal Reserve under state control?
Actually, it was for such an accomplishment.
And now, he himself didn’t need to do anything, because David was already handling all the dirty and tiring work.
He just needed to sign off at the final moment to bring the bill into effect, which was far less stressful than what President Kennedy faced.
If President Kennedy had known such an opportunity existed, he would’ve probably wanted to climb out of his coffin.
But the thought of facing the pressure from The Big Three Groups and all the capitalists in America still gave Payden a headache.
“Let’s do this: call Obadiah and Welton Heng from the Internal Revenue Service, I want to have a talk with them!”
This content is taken from freёwebnovel.com.
After a while, Payden decided to discuss with the Internal Revenue Service first, then make a decision afterward.