Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), the final Republican holdout on the tax bill, is now planning to vote "yes" on the bill. Corker's office made this announcement on Friday, shortly before the final text of the bill was due to be released at 5:30 p.m. EST.
#Breaking: Corker to vote yes on tax bill https://t.co/pdeMR0l610 pic.twitter.com/QFSUg9Uqwr
— POLITICO (@politico) December 15, 2017
Previously, Corker said that he was concerned about the bill's effect on the deficit. Now, while he still does not think that this bill is perfect and he would have preferred to have reached a more bipartisan consensus on parts of the legislation, will vote for this "once-in-a-generation opportunity" to make businesses more competitive.
Bob Corker endorses the Republican tax bill, abandoning his deficit concerns. pic.twitter.com/eVVqag2e0q
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) December 15, 2017
"This bill is far from perfect, and left to my own accord, we would have reached bipartisan consensus on legislation that avoided any chance of adding to the deficit and far less would have been done on the individual side with items that do not generate economic growth.
"But after great thought and consideration, I believe that this once-in-a-generation opportunity to make U.S. businesses domestically more productive and internationally more competitive is one we should not miss. [...]
With Corker joining Rubio in support of the bill, this all but assures its passage. Unlike Rubio, however, it doesn't appear as though any of Corker's concerns were taken into account to adjust the language of the bill.
GAME OVER: Bob Corker announces he will now vote for final tax bill
— Erik Wasson (@elwasson) December 15, 2017
With Bob Corker now a yes on the tax bill — and with Marco Rubio back on board — it’s all over but the voting. The tax bill will pass.
— Matt Viser (@mviser) December 15, 2017
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