Cornyn: ‘We would love to get a bipartisan’ tax bill, but it’s up to Democrats

Texas Sen. John Cornyn (R) dismissed reports Wednesday that Democrats were being “shut out” of the GOP’s discussions on tax reform, telling CNN’s Chris Cuomo in an interview that Democrats are welcome at the table if their amendments can find bipartisan support.

Cornyn, the No. 2-ranking Senate Republican, said on CNN’s “New Day” that complaints from Democrats like Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) about being excluded from the process are simply “not true.”

{mosads}

“That’s just not true. Sherrod Brown is on the Senate Finance Committee with me, and last Thursday night we had an amendment process, he didn’t win a lot of his amendments but when you’re in the minority that happens,” Cornyn said Wednesday. “That’s not when you take your ball and go home, which is essentially what they did.”

The Texas Republican says it’s “up to them” whether or not the tax-reform bill that the Senate hopes to vote on before the end of the year will be bipartisan.

“There’s still an opportunity for our Democratic colleagues, in the vote today and on Thursday, to participate. We would love to have a bipartisan bill, but that’s really up to them,” he said.

Cornyn rejected a suggestion from Cuomo that Democrats would abandon the process due to their inability to pass any amendments or influence the GOP leadership to change the bill.

“That’s the way our legislative process works, and it’s about building coalitions,” Cornyn said. “I don’t think they should assume that they can’t win any amendment votes. What they ought to do is craft them in a way that will win bipartisan support.”

“If their whole point is to deny the president and the majority a win here on tax reform,” Cornyn added, “then unfortunately the American people are going to the be the ones who pay the price.”