Senate Republicans are getting "very close" to a yes vote on tax reform legislation, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn said Tuesday.
"The difference between the tax negotiations and the healthcare negotiations is I think everybody in the Republican conference wants to get to yes," the Texas Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom" program.
The legislation is vital, he continued, as it's needed to get the economy growing again and to give middle class taxpayers additional take-home pay.
Further, the United States needs the tax cuts so it can once again become more competitive in a global economy that "has left the United States behind when it comes to investments and jobs being created overseas," Cornyn said.
The talks going on now are the "typical fine-tuning" that comes at the end of Washington's legislative process, said Cornyn, while downplaying comments from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer about participating in the bill's discussions.
"If he wanted to change the bill, we would invite him to participate, but so far Senate Democrats have simply taken shots at it and offered no constructive contribution," said Cornyn.
Meanwhile, the bill is not designed to benefit the wealthy and the large businesses, but to help middle-income taxpayers get the economy growing again, said Cornyn.
"I'm very optimistic that working in good faith we all want to get everybody to yes and get this done," the senator said, and he's sure there will be a vote this week in the Senate on its tax bill.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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