House and Senate negotiators were busy signing off on the GOP’s final tax overhaul plan on Friday, after leaders made some last-minutes fixes in an effort to win over holdout senators.
In order to accommodate Sen. Marco Rubio, Republicans expanded part of a child tax credit after Mr. Rubio had said the Senate-passed version didn’t reach enough working families.
Mr. Rubio said the change, intended to benefit more low-income families who might not make enough to pay federal income taxes, is a “solid step toward broader reforms which are both pro-growth and pro-worker.”
“But there is still much more to do in the months and years to come,” Mr. Rubio said on Twitter.
He praised fellow Sens. Mike Lee and Tim Scott, as well as White House adviser and presidential daughter Ivanka Trump, for their work on the issue.
In an 11th-hour surprise, Mr. Rubio said Thursday he couldn’t support the bill without changes to the child credit. Mr. Lee, who has been working with Mr. Rubio on expanding the child tax credit, was also undecided.
Republican members of the bicameral conference committee working to reconcile the $1.4 trillion House- and Senate-passed bills steadily made their way to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady’s office on Friday to sign the conference report, ahead of expected floor votes in the House and Senate next week.
Mr. Brady said the plan will be made public at 5:30 p.m. Friday.
“I’m confident we’re going to have the votes to pass it next week,” said Sen. Pat Toomey, Pennsylvania Republican.
The Senate passed its plan on a 51-49 vote earlier this month, with the support of Mr. Rubio and Mr. Lee. Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee was the lone GOP senator to vote against it.
The House passed its own package last month.
The final package that could head to President Trump’s desk next week is expected to include a corporate tax rate of 21 percent — down from 35 percent but slightly higher than the 20 percent rate in the House and Senate bills.
It also trims tax rates for individuals, while eliminating or reducing various breaks and deductions.
The plan, though, will not include language sought by some conservatives that would roll back the Johnson Amendment, which limits the kind of political activity churches and nonprofit groups can engage in. The House version of the tax bill included such language, while the Senate’s did not.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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