Senate committee advances tax plan as GOP continues hunt for floor votes

Source: Politico




Republican senators were scrambling to negotiate changes to the tax legislation ahead of key committee and floor votes later this week.

By SEUNG MIN KIM, BERNIE BECKER and COLIN WILHELM 11/28/2017 12:33 PM EST Updated 11/28/2017 03:45 PM EST

The Senate Budget Committee on Tuesday advanced the GOP’s tax reform bill with no debate, setting up a full floor vote by week’s end even as Republicans scrambled to nail down enough support.

The committee's approval was uncertain earlier in the day since two Republicans with strong reservations about the plan sit on the panel. But ultimately those two holdouts — Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Bob Corker of Tennessee — voted to advance the tax measure to the floor in a major win for GOP leadership.

The critical vote occurred as Republicans launched a frenzied round of last-minute deal-making to persuade key blocs of holdouts on their tax overhaul, on the same day that President Donald Trump headed to Capitol Hill to rally the GOP troops.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, members of his leadership team, and key Senate Finance Committee Republicans met Tuesday morning with Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) to work out Daines' concerns on the bill’s treatment of so-called pass-through businesses.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/28/senate-tax-votes-gop-192794