When Republicans Are Honest About Their Policies

President Trump, his aides and Republicans in Congress tried their best last year to mislead the public about legislation that would cripple the Affordable Care Act and cut taxes for corporations while doing little to help workers. Now, a few of these Republicans have come clean — at least momentarily.

Marco Rubio, the senator from Florida and former presidential candidate, told The Economist recently that the big corporate tax cut that he voted for late last year was passed under the false pretense that businesses would use their tax windfall on their employees. As Mr. Rubio accurately said in the interview, “There’s no evidence whatsoever that the money’s been massively poured back into the American worker.” Mr. Rubio later walked back his assessment of the tax bill, writing in National Review that he thinks it “has been good for Americans.” But it was refreshing to see him clearly acknowledge, even once, what many economists and voters have long known. Sure enough, what we have seen so far is that companies are buying back stock, which benefits a small group of well-heeled investors, while giving their workers modest bonuses at best.

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