Fuming. Frustrated. Furious.
You would think that Republicans would’ve learned after their failed TrumpCare vote that rushing a bill to the Floor that their own party hasn’t reached agreement on isn’t going to work out well for them. But here we are. After postponing the vote on their tax scam yesterday, Senate Republicans are scrambling to rewrite their bill – on the Floor, via amendment – and are in complete disarray. From CNN:
“Republican leaders are racing to find support for their tax bill just hours ahead a critical vote, harkening back to the health care bill debacle this summer that left them empty handed.”
“Behind the scenes, Republican members and aides were fuming at Sen. Bob Corker, a Republican from Tennessee, who was demanding last-minute offsets for the GOP tax bill out of fear that it would raise the deficit. Corker's demands weren't entirely new, but were crystallized further Thursday afternoon when the Joint Committee on Taxation, the independent tax scorekeeper, announced that even with projected economic growth, the Republican tax bill still would add more than $1 trillion to the deficit over 10 years. Then, Corker learned that a trigger he demanded in the tax bill that would automatically increase taxes if the tax legislation didn't generate the growth that Republicans anticipated, wouldn't pass Senate rules and couldn't be included.”
“At one point Toomey grew audibly frustrated, this time standing face-to-face with the Tennessee Republican. ‘Furious,’one aide responded when asked how GOP senators were responding behind closed doors to what Corker did on the floor. ‘Didn't need to be done publicly. Didn't need to cause a scene. We know it's a problem. Fix it behind closed doors.’
"‘When the trigger doesn't work, you have to come up with, I think, $350 billion,’ said Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina. ‘That makes everything different. So, we'll get there, because failure's not an option.’”
“The predicament leadership faces now isn't all that unlike the one they found themselves in on health care. If McConnell appeases Johnson and boosts the tax break for pass-throughs (which costs money), he could alienate Corker and Flake who have lobbied to make the tax bill less expensive. If he appeases Collins, he could face problems with the Senate bill when it goes to conference with the House.”
“Behind the scenes, Republican members and aides were fuming at Sen. Bob Corker, a Republican from Tennessee, who was demanding last-minute offsets for the GOP tax bill out of fear that it would raise the deficit. Corker's demands weren't entirely new, but were crystallized further Thursday afternoon when the Joint Committee on Taxation, the independent tax scorekeeper, announced that even with projected economic growth, the Republican tax bill still would add more than $1 trillion to the deficit over 10 years. Then, Corker learned that a trigger he demanded in the tax bill that would automatically increase taxes if the tax legislation didn't generate the growth that Republicans anticipated, wouldn't pass Senate rules and couldn't be included.”
“At one point Toomey grew audibly frustrated, this time standing face-to-face with the Tennessee Republican. ‘Furious,’one aide responded when asked how GOP senators were responding behind closed doors to what Corker did on the floor. ‘Didn't need to be done publicly. Didn't need to cause a scene. We know it's a problem. Fix it behind closed doors.’
"‘When the trigger doesn't work, you have to come up with, I think, $350 billion,’ said Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina. ‘That makes everything different. So, we'll get there, because failure's not an option.’”
“The predicament leadership faces now isn't all that unlike the one they found themselves in on health care. If McConnell appeases Johnson and boosts the tax break for pass-throughs (which costs money), he could alienate Corker and Flake who have lobbied to make the tax bill less expensive. If he appeases Collins, he could face problems with the Senate bill when it goes to conference with the House.”