In the US Senate, the tax bill could fail or succeed based off of the votes of just a handful of members. After recess this week, Senators will return from Thanksgiving and move immediately to vote on a plan that would permanently lower the corporate tax rate, temporarily lower rates across the middle-class and would drastically reshape the country's tax code.
But, the math is tough. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is moving forward with a Senate process that only allows him to lose two members and still pass his bill. Already one member has announced he's opposed and another is leaning against the bill. That means that in the next two weeks, McConnell has to hold his conference together or be faced with yet another failure on one of the GOP's top campaign promises.
Here are the players to watch.
Sen. Ron Johnson
The Wisconsin Senator made major news last week when he became the first member of the Republican Party to come out against the Senate's tax bill. Johnson's problem with the legislation boils down to his concern about the way the Senate bill treats pass-through entities versus how it treats corporations. Under the bill, Johnson has argued that small businesses -- many of whom use the pass-through structure to pay taxes-- aren't getting a fair deal.
Sen. Jeff Flake
When the Arizona Republican announced last month that he wouldn't be running for re-election, he solidified his wild card status for the remainder of his term. Flake has long been known for his opposition to President Donald Trump, and though Flake has supported a number of key Republican votes this year, he has still been harshly critical of the White House and refuses to tow the party line when it comes to messaging -- making him unpredictable at times.
Sen. Susan Collins
Collins has repeatedly cited her concerns about the tax bill in the past week. On CNN's "State of the Union," the Republican from Maine reiterated Sunday her disapproval of the decision to include a repeal of the individual heath insurance mandate as a way to raise revenues.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski
When Republicans added the individual mandate repeal, all eyes also turned to Murkowski, who joined with Collins and Sen. John McCain to oppose similar legislation earlier this summer. Republicans, however, are optimistic that Murkowski will still sign onto the tax reform bill, even if it includes the health care provision.
Sen. John McCain
So far McCain has not signaled any alarms that he might vote against the bill. While McCain has upheld his maverick status this year — teaming up with Collins and Murkowski to defeat the mandate repeal, for example — he hasn't expressed any major concerns about the tax reform bill.
Sen. Bob Corker
The Tennessee Republican has said all along he will not support a bill that adds one penny to the deficit, but Corker hasn't come out as a definitive "yes" or "no" on the tax bill just yet.
Sen. Rand Paul
Few lawmakers are the kind of wild card that Sen. Rand Paul, whom leadership is keeping a close eye on but isn't sure they will be able to convince, is. After suffering severe injuries after a neighbor allegedly attacked him, Paul has not been as visible on Capitol Hill as he's been in debates past, but he remains a key vote.
Reference: CNN
Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/
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