Sunday shows preview: GOP gears up for Senate tax reform push

Trump administration officials are set to appear on the Sunday show circuit this week to sell the GOP’s tax plan as the push to overhaul the nation’s tax code shifts to the Senate.

Several Trump administration officials are set to make the case for the tax reform effort Sunday as Republicans push to secure their first major legislative victory during President Trump’s tenure.

White House legislative affairs director Marc Short is slated to appear on ABC’s “This Week,” Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is set to appear on “Fox News Sunday” and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney is scheduled to go on CBS’s “Face the Nation” and CNN’s “State of the Union” to discuss the tax effort.

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All eyes are the Senate, where Republicans are crafting their own tax bill, after House Republicans this week celebrated the passage of their tax plan.

Already, some GOP senators have voiced concern about the tax proposal, and one, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), has said he cannot support it as written.

The House bill passed this week would fulfill several key promises of Trump’s tax outline, namely slashing the corporate tax rate, reducing the number of individual tax brackets from seven to three and doing away with a number of tax breaks and deductions.

The Senate bill differs substantially from that of the House. It’s tax cuts for individuals are temporary, and it would delay a corporate tax cut for a year. It also repeals ObamaCare’s individual mandate that requires most Americans to purchase health insurance or face a tax penalty.

The Senate Finance Committee voted along party lines on Thursday to approve the tax proposal. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he would bring the measure to the floor for debate after the Thanksgiving recess.

It remains to be seen if the Senate bill will have the support to pass. Republicans hold a 52-seat majority in the chamber, and assuming that all Democrats oppose the bill, the GOP can only afford two defections within its ranks if it hopes to clear the measure.

Another major topic expected to dominate the Sunday shows is the mounting sexual harassment and assault allegations against a number of political figures.

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) became the latest politician to be swept up in the allegations. He was accused this week of forcibly kissing and groping a woman in 2006 during a USO tour in the Middle East. He apologized over the incident, which the woman, a Los Angeles broadcaster, accepted.

At the same time, Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore is still facing allegations from multiple women of sexual impropriety, including that he pursued sexual and romantic relations with them when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s.

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), who has spoke publicly about her own experiences with sexual harassment and is among the lawmakers leading the charge to crack down on such conduct in Congress, is set to go on CBS’s “Face the Nation” Sunday morning.

Here’s the full lineup:

ABC’s “This Week” — White House legislative affairs director Marc Short is set to go on, as is Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).

NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Reps. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) and Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) will be on the show. Perry Hooper Jr., Trump’s Alabama campaign chief, will make an appearance, as well.

CBS’ “Face the Nation” — White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney and Speier will appear on the show. They’ll be joined by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.).

CNN’s “State of the Union” — Mulvaney is on, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also appearing.

“Fox News Sunday” — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Rep. Mia Love (R-Utah) will both be on the show.