On Sunday, the Congressional Budget Office released a new report concluding that the Republican Senate tax bill is even worse than previously thought. Whereas Americans earning over $100,000 a year and corporations would enjoy significant tax breaks, people earning less than $30,000 annually would start being negatively affected as early as 2019.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is hoping to hold a vote as early as this Thursday. With Republicans holding a majority of 52-48, the party can’t afford to lose more than two votes in order to pass the bill.
If you’re wondering which GOP members are most likely to vote against the plan, here are six Republicans who have expressed views opposing or wavering on it.
Susan CollinsÂ
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The Maine senator has said she opposes including a mandate repealing the requirement that all Americans enroll in Obamacare.
“I want to see changes in that bill, and I think there will be changes,” she said during an appearance ABC’s This Week.Â
Though she isn’t a guaranteed no — she said she wouldn’t be making a final decision until after seeing all provisions — she is also not completely on board.
Jeff Flake, Bob Corker, and John McCain
We need real, fiscally responsible #TaxReform that doesn't explode the nat'l debt. https://t.co/h0iBN2wcoD
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) November 9, 2017
According to the CBO the GOP tax plan would add an estimated $1.4 trillion deficit to the national debt. Senator Flake has criticized the bill on those grounds.
“I remain concerned over how the current tax reform proposals will grow the already staggering national debt by opting for short-term fixes while ignoring long-term problems for taxpayers and the economy,†he said in a statement.
Senators John McCain and Bob Corker have shared similar reservations.
Ron Johnson
Pass-throughs account for 96% of all U.S. businesses, including many leading job creators in Wisconsin. They deserve a fair shake. #TaxReform pic.twitter.com/9y7gmplMtC
— Senator Ron Johnson (@SenRonJohnson) November 16, 2017
Johnson has explicitly stated his intention to vote against the bill, arguing that it presents no benefits for small business, but rather only for large corporations.
Lisa Murkowski
Murkowski is currently a swing vote. Like Senator Collins, she has expressed opposition to including an Obamacare repeal mandate in the GOP tax plan. “Tax reform is complicated enough, and when you add health care reform in at the same time, it continues to complicate it,†she said a few weeks ago.
However, she wrote an op-ed earlier this month, claiming to support including the mandate. Though this would seem to indicate she plans on voting in favor, her office denied that her approval of the mandate meant she would be supporting the bill.
If you or anyone you know is from the states represented by these legislators, make sure to let them know you oppose this law and expect them to vote against it.
