Source: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / Getty
The President also used the press conference, in which he did not take any questions, to slam Democrats and “Fake News” outlets.
The House of Representatives gave final approval Wednesday afternoon to its major rewrite of the US tax code, voting a second time on the package after the Senate stripped out a couple of items early on Wednesday morning and sent the legislation back to the lower chamber.
The bill passed the House a second time 224-201, with no Democrats backing it and a dozen House GOP members voting no.
The measure now heads to the President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature. Republican lawmakers are scheduled to join Trump at the White House on Wednesday afternoon to celebrate their largest legislative achievement of 2017.
In a vote in the early Wednesday morning hours, the Senate approved the final version of the first overhaul of the US tax code in more than 30 years. The bill passed along party lines, 51-48, with the final result announced by Vice President Mike Pence, who presided over the vote. The House passed the bill earlier Tuesday, but technical changes were made to it in the Senate.
A fractured GOP unified to pass a landmark tax plan: Here’s how it came together
Trump plans to thank congressional leaders for their hard work at the White House celebration, economic adviser Gary Cohn said at an event hosted by Axios.
The event will take on a “celebratory atmosphere,” Cohn said, but Trump will remind the Republican leaders from the House and Senate they “still have a lot of work to do.”
The President will not actually sign the bill Wednesday, however. The bill will not be “enrolled” yet — the formal term for when a final copy of a bill passed by both houses of Congress is sent to the White House.
Uphill climb for Republicans
While Republicans cheer the bill’s passage, however, 55% of Americans oppose the plan, according to a new CNN poll. Just 33% say they favor the GOP’s proposals to reform the nation’s tax code.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told CNN that Republicans will continue to try to sell the bill to the public.
“Absolutely. We’re looking forward to it,” McConnell said. “My view of this is, if we can’t sell this to the American people, we ought to go into another line of work.”
Trump said the “results will speak for themselves.”
READ MORE: News5Cleveland.com
Article Courtesy of CNN and WEWS News 5 Cleveland
Picture Courtesy of Brendan Smialowski and Getty Images
Video Courtesy of The White House and YouTube
President Trump Celebrates Tax Reform with Other GOP Lawmakers Outside White House was originally published on wzakcleveland.com
