McCaskill: Lobbyists gave Dems a list of GOP amendments to tax bill

Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill (Mo.) said Friday that Democrats had received a list of amendments to the Republican tax reform legislation from outside lobbyists instead of their Republican colleagues. 

“This is so bad. We have just gotten list of amendments to be included in bill NOT from our R colleagues, but from lobbyists downtown,” the senator tweeted ahead of a likely Friday vote on the bill.

This is so bad. We have just gotten list of amendments to be included in bill NOT from our R colleagues, but from lobbyists downtown. None of us have seen this list, but lobbyists have it. Need I say more? Disgusting. And we probably will not even be given time to read them. pic.twitter.com/Mn0i56JeZg

— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) December 1, 2017

McCaskill and other Senate Democrats have repeatedly criticized Republicans over their handling of the tax bill, arguing it is mostly being written behind closed doors.

The Senate is expected to hold a final vote on the legislation late Friday. A number of changes are likely to be made to the bill before final passage, however. Republicans are expected to offer a “manager’s” amendment that would reflect those changes.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Friday that Democrats have already had plenty of time to review the bill during the four days of committee hearings, and that they would be sufficiently familiar with most of the final version’s provisions when it went to a vote. 

Senate Republican leaders said Friday that they had the votes to pass the landmark legislation. 

Several Republicans have signed on to the measure, including Sen. Steve Daines (Mont.), who won a concession related to deductions for pass-through businesses; and Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), who won a concession on deductions for medical expenses and property taxes.