Politics

Trump To Meet With GOP Tax Conferees Wednesday

Juliegrace Brufke Capitol Hill Reporter
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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is slated to meet with House and Senate tax conferees at the White House Wednesday to discuss negotiations on The Tax Cuts & Jobs Act.

The gathering is slated to take place shortly before the House-Senate Conference’s first public meeting Wednesday afternoon — where lawmakers are expected to openly debate the measure — and the president’s tax reform speech.

“Tomorrow afternoon the president will host the House and Senate conferees for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act for lunch at the White House to discuss the progress they have made towards delivering historic tax reform for the American people,”  White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said in a statement.

With Republicans looking to pass a tax bill through both chambers before the end of next week, lawmakers are rushing to come to a consensus on critical provisions of the bill. While key areas — including how to handle state and local tax deduction, mortgage interest deduction caps and whether to keep the estate tax — are still being negotiated, House leadership is eyeing a floor vote as early as Tuesday.

“We look forward to scheduling this bill after they are done with their work, posting it and giving it the appropriate time so everyone can read it,” House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said. “Then passing it and sending it to the president’s desk.”

Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Thune said discussions have been productive and they are close to coming together on a unified plan.

“I think we’re making good headway, and I feel like I’ve said this all along, that, you know, we’re starting to narrow the gap and the differences between the House and Senate on all the major issues,” he told reporters Tuesday.

GOP tax negotiators — who have been meeting on the bill for weeks — are looking to iron out the differences between the House and Senate passed bills and release the conference report by Friday.

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