Stan Collender: “The new Democratic senator from Alabama won’t be sworn in until late December at the earliest and perhaps not until the beginning of January, so the lame duck Republican senator from Alabama — Luther Strange — will be part of the 52-48 GOP majority that will exist until then. That should mean the Republican leadership’s effort to enact a tax bill by Christmas is fully on track.”
“But with the GOP margin in the Senate less than three weeks away from going down to 51-49, Republican senators who still want something in the tax bill or in the funding bill that will be needed to keep the government open past December 22 are in a much better negotiating position this morning than they were yesterday. By threatening to withhold their vote if they don’t get what they want, these senators can easily force Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to delay the final on the tax bill. It also gives new leverage to other senators who up to now have been solid tax bill supporters.”
Washington Post: Democrats call for halt to GOP tax bill until Doug Jones is seated in the Senate.
Save to Favorites