Sen. Jeff Flake reportedly undecided on Republican tax bill vote
Dec 18, 2017, 4:46 PM | Updated: 8:46 pm
Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., boards the subway on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
PHOENIX — Senate Republicans are expected to vote on tax reform legislation this week, but one Arizona lawmaker is reportedly still on the fence: U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake.
Flake told reporters on Monday that he was “still working” on the Republican tax bill.
GOP AZ Sen Flake on tax bill: We're still looking at the bill..Still working on some other issues. I just came from a meeting on DACA for example, we're trying to get that moving concurrently with the bill..it won't be voted on here now, but January is going to be busy.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) December 19, 2017
Last week, Politico reported the Arizona senator was trying to work with White House and Senate leaders to secure a pathway to citizenship for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients before committing to a “yes” vote.
The Arizona senator’s statement makes him the sole undecided GOP vote. However, Flake did vote for a provisional version of the bill earlier this month after getting a commitment from the White House to be included in talks on DACA.
Related: Man pleads with Sen. Jeff Flake to vote against tax bill in viral videos
U.S. Sen. John McCain will not participate in the vote after returning home to Arizona following a period last week when he was hospitalized at Walter Reed Medical Center to treat a viral infection.
He would not be able to vote by proxy if the Republican Party needed his vote, according to Senate rules.
McCain is expected to return to Washington, D.C. in January, according to a statement from his office.
With McCain out from the vote, Senate Republicans can only afford to have one “no” vote and still pass the bill.
So far, it seems like there is no reason for the party to worry about not passing this legislation. Republicans are expected to pass the bill by a narrow margin amid unified Democratic opposition.
Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) both said they would vote for the bill this week, after wavering on the decision for some time. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) had been dealing with medical issues, but is expected to be on hand for the vote.
However, Vice President Mike Pence has postponed his trip to Egypt and Israel until mid-January if he would need to cast a vote in case of a tie.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
