Key Senate panel passes tax bill after 2 holdout GOP senators flip to 'yes'


The Senate Budget Committee passed the Republican tax bill 12-11 on Tuesday, as protesters shouted "kill the bill" and were arrested outside the doors.
The senators divided along party lines, with Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) flipping to "yes" just before the vote, Bloomberg Politics reports. Previously, Johnson had announced his opposition to the bill, and Corker was among a handful of holdouts whose vote was unclear.
With a slim 52-to-48 Senate majority, Republicans can only afford two defections and still pass the legislation. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office expects the tax bill to increase the nation's deficit by more than $1.4 trillion over the next decade. A full Senate vote could come as soon as Thursday.
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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