GOP Senators Could Alter Tax Bill to Earn Support of Holdouts

The Senate GOP tax plan could get late changes to win over holdouts, according to four people who spoke with The Washington Post.

Senate Republicans are discussing several changes to the legislation, and are most focused on concerns from Republican Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Steve Daines of Montana who say the bill favors corporations over other businesses. Republicans Jeff Flake of Arizona and James Lankford of Oklahoma have also expressed issues with the bill.

Republicans plan to take advantage of a special Senate budget rule that allows them to pass certain tax measures with just 51 votes, which means they can only afford to lose two votes, but lawmakers need to work fast as they hope to hold a vote on the measure after they return to Washington from a weeklong Thanksgiving break.

Johnson says big corporations get the majority of benefits while small businesses get little, and told CNBC last week he wouldn’t vote for it in its current form.

"I want to get this thing fixed, and vote for pro-growth tax reform that makes all American businesses competitive globally."

Several Republicans have complained the bill doesn’t allow “pass-through companies” to subtract state and local taxes from their taxable income.

"What they are concerned about is that the personal tax cuts expire in 2025, and that's a bit of a gimmick," Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., said on CNN's State of the Union. "But we will get there, because failure is not an option when it comes to the Republican Party cutting taxes."