Republican Tax Plan passes House

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The vote was 227-205, with no Democrats backing the bill.
While the bill’s passage in the GOP-controlled House was largely drama free, the prospects for the measure are more unclear in the Senate where Republicans hold a slim two-seat majority. On Wednesday, Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson announced he opposes the current Senate version and a handful of others have raised concerns. Republican leaders have vowed to get a tax bill to the President’s desk by the end of the year.

Trump spoke to the conference ahead of the vote, but members say it’s not because leadership is worried that they lack the votes. Leadership aides tell CNN they’re confident they are in a good place, able to pass legislation that drops the corporate tax rate, reduces the number of tax brackets and simplifies the code just two weeks after the bill was unveiled.

“I think the health care debacle helped us prepare for this one,” Florida GOP Rep. Dennis Ross told CNN, adding, “I think all the members also realize that this is very crucial, that we need a tax bill out of here, and I think that’s why there’s not a lot of angst over whether we have the votes tomorrow. I think we’ll be right on target.”

But Republicans are also cautious that this is the first step in a multi-stage process. Passing their bill is just the first vote. Republicans in the House are conscious that the Senate still has its work to do, not to mention that most expect a tedious process of melding the two measures to follow. One member quipped on background, “Conference is gonna be brutal.”

The President was in a very jovial mood Thursday morning, according to a source in the room, and another said the President urged Republican members to sell the plan as “the biggest tax cut in history.” He praised Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady and said he was such a nice guy. “He really likes Kevin Brady that’s for sure,” the source said.

Rep. Steve Womack, a Republican from Arkansas, said Trump acknowledged that the Senate is an obstacle on taxes, but he was in a great mood and told members that “they’ll come around,” according to Womack.