Tax bill moving closer to reality, Arizona congressman says

PHOENIX — The finish line is in sight for the $1.5 trillion tax legislation and U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona was optimistic about the outcome of Tuesday's vote.

"We're going to be voting on it [today] in the House … and I've been told [the Senate is] going to vote on it [Wednesday]," the Republican told KTAR 92.3 FM's Arizona's Morning News, hours before the vote, which passed 227-203.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the Senate would vote Tuesday evening.

The Republican-controlled Congress hoped to deliver the tax package to President Donald Trump's desk before the holidays. The House introduced legislation Nov. 2.

Since then, a handful of Senators have said they wouldn't vote for the bill, but some have come around, including Susan Collins of Maine and Mike Lee of Utah.

Arizona's Jeff Flake was still on the bubble Monday.

No Democrats voted for the tax overhaul.

Collins' change of heart, Biggs said, would probably be reflected in the upcoming spending bill.

"Something will be in that continuing resolution that's going to forward Friday," he said.

There were tack-ons to the spending bill that caused Biggs to raise an eyebrow.

"There's lots of thing there that shouldn't be there – they're talking about putting in FISA re-authorization."

Biggs said the FISA bill that allowed spying on foreign people can also "bring in spying on Americans and they don't want to do any reforms there, which can be a bit of a problem.

"They're also talking about additional spending of almost $100 billion with no way to pay for that."

But the drive to succeed with the biggest tax overhaul in 30 years has put the GOP in a good mood.

Republicans argued that corporations, flush with cash, will create more jobs and boost the economy.

Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters, "This is the greatest example of a promise being made and a promise being kept."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.