McConnell: “We have the votes” – UPDATE: Flake is a YES

It looks like the Senate is about to pass their new tax reform bill as McConnell is reported to have just said on the Senate Floor “We have the votes”:


CNBC – Senate Republicans were confident they had the support needed Friday to pass their tax overhaul as last-minute changes brought more GOP lawmakers on board.

“We have the votes,” McConnell told reporters after GOP senators emerged from a meeting.

Sens. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., earlier Friday said they would back the bill after securing further tax relief for pass-through businesses. Then, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., committed to supporting the plan, leaving Republican leaders confident that they had the support.

Following the Republican meeting, holdout Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told reporters that up to $10,000 in state and local property tax deductions — a concessions she sought — were added to the bill. She did not commit to backing the legislation. If Collins support the plan, Republicans will have at least the 50 votes needed to approve it.

On Friday morning, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, called holdout Bob Corker of Tennessee and Jeff Flake of Arizona, the last two senators who need to get on board. The GOP can pass the legislation even if both senators oppose it over budget deficit concerns.

If Collins does not back the bill, along with Corker and Flake, it would fail. A spokeswoman for Collins said Friday that the Maine lawmaker and Senate Republicans are “making very good progress” on negotiations.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch of Utah said Friday he believes Republicans have the votes to pass the bill. Holdout Corker told NBC News on Friday he thinks the GOP can approve it even without his vote.

So there you go. Looks like we’re going to get tax reform today and then hopefully the House will approve this bill and Trump can then sign it.

After the failures with Obamacare, this would be a good way to end the year.

UPDATE: Flake is a yes…


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