Republicans on Wednesday announced the tax bill would go to a vote next week despite pleas from Democratic leaders to hold off until Alabama's Doug Jones is seated, a move that likely opens the party up to charges of hypocrisy, according to The Washington Post analysis.
Jones' vote could kill the tax bill since Republicans can only afford two defections, one with the newly elected senator in his seat. A similar scene played out in 2010 when Scott Brown won a special election in Massachusetts and Democrats needed a 60th vote in the Senate to end debate.
"The Senate certainly shouldn't try to jam anything through until Scott Brown is seated," Barack Obama back then told ABC the day after Brown won. "The people in Massachusetts spoke. He's got to be part of that process."
Obamacare was passed, but only after the House voted on identical legislation to the Senate bill.
Similarly, in 2016 Senate Republicans would not hold hearings on Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, before the presidential election because they said the American people should have a say on who sits on the highest court.
Neil Gorsuch, a conservative justice, was eventually seated after President Donald Trump nominated him.
"This is a Senate majority leader who threw out the Constitution and delayed a vote on a Supreme Court nominee so 'the people could speak,'" said Stephanie Cutter, a former Obama official. "What's different here?"
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