SENATE PASSES REPUBLICAN TAX BILL IN HUGE WIN FOR TRUMP, GOP

[Free Vulcan]

The Senate passed the Republican tax reform bill early Saturday in a massive win for the party and President Donald Trump, who has seen many of his agenda items stall in the legislature.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed on a vote of 51 to 49. Sen. Bob Corker was the only Republican to vote against the bill. Its passage brings Republicans a step closer to their first major legislative achievement in the Trump presidency.

The vote came just three weeks after Republicans introduced the original version. It came just hours after the text of the final version of the bill was released. GOP leaders moved the bill through the chamber at breakneck speed as they attempt to send legislation to Trump's desk by Christmas.

Read more at: http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tax-reform-passed-senate-vote-count-2017-12

[RetBobbyMI]

Yea they passed it. But did anyone really know what they voted for or against? It was still being rewritten right up to the time of the vote. Pilosi wasn’t wrong after all...they have to pass it to find out what’s in it.

[WingNot]

Yea they passed it. But did anyone really know what they voted for or against? It was still being rewritten right up to the time of the vote. Pilosi wasn’t wrong after all...they have to pass it to find out what’s in it.

Cocker is Jeff Flake Light. A cheese gnawing Chump Rat. Sanfran Nan back in her glory days.

[RetBobbyMI]

Grouped by Home State
Alabama:  Shelby (R-AL), Yea  Strange (R-AL), Yea Alaska:  Murkowski (R-AK), Yea  Sullivan (R-AK), Yea Arizona:  Flake (R-AZ), Yea  McCain (R-AZ), Yea Arkansas:  Boozman (R-AR), Yea  Cotton (R-AR), Yea California:  Feinstein (D-CA), Nay  Harris (D-CA), Nay Colorado:  Bennet (D-CO), Nay  Gardner (R-CO), Yea Connecticut:  Blumenthal (D-CT), Nay  Murphy (D-CT), Nay Delaware:  Carper (D-DE), Nay  Coons (D-DE), Nay Florida:  Nelson (D-FL), Nay  Rubio (R-FL), Yea Georgia:  Isakson (R-GA), Yea  Perdue (R-GA), Yea Hawaii:  Hirono (D-HI), Nay  Schatz (D-HI), Nay Idaho:  Crapo (R-ID), Yea  Risch (R-ID), Yea Illinois:  Duckworth (D-IL), Nay  Durbin (D-IL), Nay Indiana:  Donnelly (D-IN), Nay  Young (R-IN), Yea Iowa:  Ernst (R-IA), Yea  Grassley (R-IA), Yea Kansas:  Moran (R-KS), Yea  Roberts (R-KS), Yea Kentucky:  McConnell (R-KY), Yea  Paul (R-KY), Yea Louisiana:  Cassidy (R-LA), Yea  Kennedy (R-LA), Yea Maine:  Collins (R-ME), Yea  King (I-ME), Nay Maryland:  Cardin (D-MD), Nay  Van Hollen (D-MD), Nay Massachusetts:  Markey (D-MA), Nay  Warren (D-MA), Nay Michigan:  Peters (D-MI), Nay  Stabenow (D-MI), Nay Minnesota:  Franken (D-MN), Nay  Klobuchar (D-MN), Nay Mississippi:  Cochran (R-MS), Yea  Wicker (R-MS), Yea Missouri:  Blunt (R-MO), Yea  McCaskill (D-MO), Nay Montana:  Daines (R-MT), Yea  Tester (D-MT), Nay Nebraska:  Fischer (R-NE), Yea  Sasse (R-NE), Yea Nevada:  Cortez Masto (D-NV), Nay  Heller (R-NV), Yea New Hampshire:  Hassan (D-NH), Nay  Shaheen (D-NH), Nay New Jersey:  Booker (D-NJ), Nay  Menendez (D-NJ), Nay New Mexico:  Heinrich (D-NM), Nay  Udall (D-NM), Nay New York:  Gillibrand (D-NY), Nay  Schumer (D-NY), Nay North Carolina:  Burr (R-NC), Yea  Tillis (R-NC), Yea North Dakota:  Heitkamp (D-ND), Nay  Hoeven (R-ND), Yea Ohio:  Brown (D-OH), Nay  Portman (R-OH), Yea Oklahoma:  Inhofe (R-OK), Yea  Lankford (R-OK), Yea Oregon:  Merkley (D-OR), Nay  Wyden (D-OR), Nay Pennsylvania:  Casey (D-PA), Nay  Toomey (R-PA), Yea Rhode Island:  Reed (D-RI), Nay  Whitehouse (D-RI), Nay South Carolina:  Graham (R-SC), Yea  Scott (R-SC), Yea South Dakota:  Rounds (R-SD), Yea  Thune (R-SD), Yea Tennessee:  Alexander (R-TN), Yea  Corker (R-TN), Nay Texas:  Cornyn (R-TX), Yea  Cruz (R-TX), Yea Utah:  Hatch (R-UT), Yea  Lee (R-UT), Yea Vermont:  Leahy (D-VT), Nay  Sanders (I-VT), Nay Virginia:  Kaine (D-VA), Nay  Warner (D-VA), Nay Washington:  Cantwell (D-WA), Nay  Murray (D-WA), Nay West Virginia:  Capito (R-WV), Yea  Manchin (D-WV), Nay Wisconsin:  Baldwin (D-WI), Nay  Johnson (R-WI), Yea Wyoming:  Barrasso (R-WY), Yea  Enzi (R-WY), Yea

[jpsb]

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but it now goes to the House and gets an up/down vote
or does it go to conference?

Since I bash Mitch a lot it is only fair I give Mitch an attaboy for getting this done.

Well done Mitch.

[RetBobbyMI]

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but it now goes to the House and gets an up/down vote
or does it go to conference?

Since I bash Mitch a lot it is only fair I give Mitch an attaboy for getting this done.

Well done Mitch.

Goes to conference to iron out differences. But house conservatives said they can’t support Senate version.

[Bigun]

While there are undoubtedly some good things in this, most notably repeal of the Obamacare mandate, it is mostly just more inside the beltway smoke and mirrors.   Having said that, getting rid of that onerous and IMHO patently unconstitutional mandate alone makes it worth passing!

[Snarknado]

"Huge win for Trump, GOP"? IIRC Obamacare passage was a "huge win for Obama, democrats". For Obama maybe, but we all know how it turned out for democrats...

[Emjay]

Yea they passed it. But did anyone really know what they voted for or against? It was still being rewritten right up to the time of the vote. Pilosi wasn’t wrong after all...they have to pass it to find out what’s in it.

I think Ted Cruz knew what was in it, and he was for it.

We need another Senate Republican.  The dems and a few deranged members tried to take one Republican out before he was elected. 

[truth_seeker]

I think Ted Cruz knew what was in it, and he was for it.

Thanks for some occasional common sense, here.

The bill results from the normal sausage making process of legislation. The final version for both the House and Senate to vote upon, will blend and combine elements of both versions.

Assuming they reach agreement, the President and the Congress will be able to claim they delivered promised

--Tax Cuts

--Obamacare Repeal

It is a very big Win, except of course for democrats and for die-hard #nevertrumpers who will go on endlessly picking at nits.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

Yeah, the Senate passed a bill.  Is the bar so low that that is a "huge win"?  We don't even know what is in it, not that it matters because it's not the final version anyway (assuming there is a final version, which is nowhere near a given).

[Oceander]

Thanks for some occasional common sense, here.

The bill results from the normal sausage making process of legislation. The final version for both the House and Senate to vote upon, will blend and combine elements of both versions.

Assuming they reach agreement, the President and the Congress will be able to claim they delivered promised

--Tax Cuts

--Obamacare Repeal

It is a very big Win, except of course for democrats and for die-hard #nevertrumpers who will go on endlessly picking at nits.

And a trillion dollar increase in the national debt.  So, other than the minor details, what’s the big difference between Trump and the democrats?

[skeeter]

And a trillion dollar increase in the national debt.  So, other than the minor details, what’s the big difference between Trump and the democrats?

I doubt the democrats would've put a repeal of the healthcare mandate in their bill.

And I'd be inclined to give a little of the blame to the GOP, too, for the ridiculous level of spending in Washington.

[INVAR]

And a trillion dollar increase in the national debt.  So, other than the minor details, what’s the big difference between Trump and the democrats?

The Beast is self-aware and unquenchable in thirst and hunger.

That said, if this is the only way we get a repeal of government mandating what we must purchase and regulating our healthcare via bureaucracy - I'm for it in the short term.

A direct impact to the positive for most of us who are not dependent on government, but have our wealth confiscated to keep it growing.

[truth_seeker]

And a trillion dollar increase in the national debt.  So, other than the minor details, what’s the big difference between Trump and the democrats?

I provided for you and your response as "democrats and die-hard #nevertrumpers" so thanks for following through.

So you stand firm in opposition with all democrats, and with Sen. Corker?

I stand with 51 Republican Senators, who voted Yeah.

[GtHawk]

I provided for you and your response as "democrats and die-hard #nevertrumpers" so thanks for following through.

So you stand firm in opposition with all democrats, and with Sen. Corker?

I stand with 51 Republican Senators, who voted Yeah.

Awe man! That poor horse.

[Oceander]

I provided for you and your response as "democrats and die-hard #nevertrumpers" so thanks for following through.

So you stand firm in opposition with all democrats, and with Sen. Corker?

I stand with 51 Republican Senators, who voted Yeah.

You’d stand with Trump if he walked down the middle of Fifth Avenue shooting people, so whom you stand with is of little consequence. 

I stand with common sense and what used to be traditional republican principles, including that the national debt should not be gratuitously increased.  I see you do not.  So the similarity between me and the democrats is merely one of correlation, not one of substance, whereas you are in substance no better than a democrat because you’re willing to boost the national debt just so you can get some bill passed that has the label, but not the reality, of being tax reform. 

[INVAR]

...boost the national debt just so you can get some bill passed that has the label, but not the reality, of being tax reform.

The precedent now being reality, that all bills are cynically labelled to do the opposite of that which they claim (i.e.: ACA/ObamaCare).

Just more proof that the Republican Party has learned how to deceive just as adeptly as the Democrats.

But I'll take a repeal of O'Care mandates, let them crow about it - and refuse to acknowledge that they provided any tax reform outside of serving their Masters on K Street.

[Bigun]

And a trillion dollar increase in the national debt.  So, other than the minor details, what’s the big difference between Trump and the democrats?

Not because of this tax bill there won't be!  No way in hell and I don't care how many times the Joint Committee on Taxation says otherwise!

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Goes to conference to iron out differences. But house conservatives said they can’t support Senate version.

The sausage making process of 'ironing out differences' is what is to b'e feared.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

You’d stand with Trump if he walked down the middle of Fifth Avenue shooting people, so whom you stand with is of little consequence. 

I stand with common sense and what used to be traditional republican principles, including that the national debt should not be gratuitously increased.  I see you do not.  So the similarity between me and the democrats is merely one of correlation, not one of substance, whereas you are in substance no better than a democrat because you’re willing to boost the national debt just so you can get some bill passed that has the label, but not the reality, of being tax reform.

Laughable to believe that all of our ills are caused by placing more money in people's pockets, especially when the government is taking in record amounts of income.

Are you this so vociferous on cutting back on spending, which happens to be the real reason we are in debt up to our eyeballs?

[RetBobbyMI]

Thanks for some occasional common sense, here.

The bill results from the normal sausage making process of legislation. The final version for both the House and Senate to vote upon, will blend and combine elements of both versions.

Assuming they reach agreement, the President and the Congress will be able to claim they delivered promised

--Tax Cuts

--Obamacare Repeal

It is a very big Win, except of course for democrats and for die-hard #nevertrumpers who will go on endlessly picking at nits.

Tax cuts? Not.  Obamacare repeal? Maybe
Only time will tell. I for one will not be payin* less under either plan.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

Cutting taxes may increase or decrease the deficit.  No one knows one way or the other, and we will never know even in hind sight, way too many other things happen that effect the economy to single out one cause.

Cutting spending on the other hand can decrease the deficit.  That is one thing that is completely controllable.  Technically, we'd need to slightly redefine the concept of deficit/surplus to consider the difference between revenue in year N and spending in year N+1 (practically, N+2 might make more sense).  Whatever we take in in 2017 should be the limit of the 2018 budget (actually, the limit should be like 90% as long as we have a debt).

We can't control revenues.  We can control spending.

[libertybele]

Tax cuts? Not.  Obamacare repeal? Maybe
Only time will tell. I for one will not be payin* less under either plan.

It appears that we will be paying more as well. It's one thing to proclaim a GOP victory because of the tax bill, but unless a whole lot of people see some tax relief and we start seeing jobs coming back into this country and more people working this could very well be a curse for the GOP ... sort of like Bush's read my lips .. no new taxes.  You are correct time will certainly tell.

[Chosen Daughter]

It appears that we will be paying more as well. It's one thing to proclaim a GOP victory because of the tax bill, but unless a whole lot of people see some tax relief and we start seeing jobs coming back into this country and more people working this could very well be a curse for the GOP ... sort of like Bush's read my lips .. no new taxes.  You are correct time will certainly tell.

I am glad the mandate is going away.  But not sure if we will see a cut or not.  When I read the numbers last time I thought it might be a benefit.  Nearly double the standard deduction.