Sunday shows preview: Republicans take victory lap on taxes

Top Republicans will hit the Sunday show circuit this week to tout the party’s victory on tax reform after the Senate passed the GOP bill early Saturday morning.

Senate Republicans debated the GOP plan late into the night Friday, finally passing the bill after midnight by a 51-49 vote.

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), who had concerns about the bill’s impact on the deficit, joined all Democrats in voting against the tax overhaul.

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The bill lowers the corporate tax rate and lowers tax rates for individuals through 2025. Democrats argue the plan favors the wealthy and large corporations, while Republicans insist the investment in business would stop American jobs from going overseas.

“We have an opportunity now to make America more competitive, to keep jobs from being shipped offshore and to provide substantial relief for the middle class,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said at a 2 a.m. press conference after the vote.

McConnell will join ABC’s “This Week” and CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday to answer questions on the Senate’s passage of the bill, while fellow GOP Sens. Tim Scott (S.C.) and Susan Collins (Maine) will join CNN’s “State of the Union” and NBC’s “Meet the Press,” respectively.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a longtime supporter of the bill, will also appear on CBS.

Collins was a late holdout on the bill, but eventually backed it after being guaranteed that automatic Medicare cuts under the bill would be prevented by the Senate at a later date.

Meanwhile, former Trump campaign officials Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie will appear on NBC’s “Meet the Press” to discuss their forthcoming book about the campaign.

Another topic sure to dominate the Sunday shows this week is former national security adviser Michael Flynn pleading guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia.

Flynn, who is expected to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller’s team under a plea deal, is the first former Trump administration official to be charged in the probe into ties between Trump campaign associates and Russia.

From the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, respectively, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) will make appearances to discuss the ongoing Mueller investigation.

Here’s the full lineup:

NBC’s “Meet the Press”: Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.); Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie, former Trump campaign manager and deputy campaign manager.

CBS’s “Face the Nation”: Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and Angus King (I-ME), White House budget director Mick Mulvaney.

CNN’s “State of the Union”: Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.).

“Fox News Sunday”: White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster; Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.).

ABC’s “This Week”:  Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), McConnell, former Attorney General Michael Mukasey.