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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 1 december 2017
GOP tax bill gains support; Senate leaders work on holdouts

By MARCY GORDON to President Donald Trump Jeff Flake of Arizona even-
STEPHEN OHLEMACHER by Christmas. Republicans tually joined fellow Repub-
Associated Press have cast passage of a licans to scuttle the Demo-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen- tax overhaul as a political cratic proposal.
ate Republican leaders imperative to ensure they Had it succeeded, it would
wrangled with the last few hold their House and Sen- have derailed the bill.
GOP holdouts Thursday as ate majorities in next year’s The dispute was over a rul-
they pushed toward pass- midterm elections. ing by the Senate parlia-
ing the first major rewrite “We’re heading down the mentarian that a key provi-
of the nation’s tax code in homestretch,” McConnell sion of the bill designed to
more than three decades. told reporters Thursday. guard against big deficits
Majority Leader Mitch Mc- In a dramatic roll call that would violate Senate rules
Connell, R-Ky., said he ex- lasted an hour, the pack- about what could be in the
pected a final vote late age cleared a procedural tax bill. Sen. Bob Corker,
Thursday or early Friday on hurdle that threatened to R-Tenn., has been push-
a $1.4 trillion package that derail the GOP’s entire tax ing to add automatic tax Sen. Susan Collins, R-Me., questions Alex Azar, President Donald
would slash the corporate drive. increases in future years if Trump’s nominee to become Secretary of Health and Human
tax rate, offer more modest Democrats forced on a the package doesn’t raise Services, during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
cuts for families and individ- vote on whether to return as much revenue as pro- Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington,
uals and eliminate several the measure to the Sen- jected. Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017.
popular deductions. ate Finance Committee so With the provision dead, (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Lawmakers would then try it could be rewritten to not Corker said senators would The package would add analysis by the nonpartisan
to reconcile the Senate make federal deficits larg- change the bill to roll back $1 trillion to the budget def- Joint Committee on Taxa-
package with one passed er. After holding out until some of the tax cuts in fu- icit over the next decade, tion. The committee previ-
by the House in the hope the last moment, Sens. Bob ture years, regardless of much less than previously ously estimated that the
of delivering a major leg- Corker of Tennessee, Ron whether tax revenues meet projected, according to a package would add $1.4
islative accomplishment Johnson of Wisconsin and expectations. congressional analysis re- trillion to the deficit.The ad-
leased Thursday.The tax bill ditional revenue is a boost
would increase economic to the bill but is still far short
growth, generating an ad- of the $2 trillion promised
ditional $458 billion in tax by Treasury Secretary Ste-
revenue, according to the ven Mnuchin. q
Nancy Pelosi calls on Conyers

to resign amid sex allegations

By ANDREW TAYLOR attorney, Arnold Reed,
COREY WILLIAMS strongly dismissed the
Associated Press growing clamor for Cony-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The ers to step aside, coming
top Democrat in the House not only from Pelosi but
on Thursday called on other Democrats. Conyers,
Michigan Rep. John Cony- who has insisted on his in-
ers to resign in the face of nocence, gave up his seat
multiple accusations of as the top Democrat on
sexual misconduct. Cony- the Judiciary Committee
ers’ lawyer swiftly rejected on Sunday while holding
the request, saying Nancy onto his congressional seat.
Pelosi “sure as hell won’t Reed noted that Conyers
be the one to tell the con- was admitted to a Detroit
gressman to leave.” hospital after feeling light-
House Minority Leader Pe- headed late Wednesday.
losi called the accusations No details about his condi-
against Conyers, the lon- tion have been released.
gest serving member of The dramatic call from Pe-
the House, “very credible” losi came just hours after
and “serious,” and said a former aide publicly ac-
he should step down after cused Conyers of sexual
decades on Capitol Hill. harassment, telling NBC’s
Conyers was first elected in “Today” show that she
1964.Pelosi said she prayed was fired for rejecting his
for the 88-year-old Demo- advances.Marion Brown,
cratic congressman, who 61, said the congressman
was hospitalized in Detroit, propositioned her for sex
and his family. “However,” multiple times over more
she said, “Congressman than a decade. Brown
Conyers should resign.” initially told her story to
Republican House Speak- BuzzFeed News on condi-
er Paul Ryan minute later tion of anonymity, saying
told reporters that Cony- she’d settled a complaint
ers “should resign immedi- in 2015 with Conyers over
ately.” the allegations, according
In Michigan, Conyers’ to her attorney.q