The Hill’s Whip List: Where Republicans stand on tax-reform bill

The Hill

House Republicans are voting Thursday on a tax overhaul package and appear to have the votes needed.

The bill would slash corporate tax rates, reduce some individual rates for middle class families and eliminate or scale back some popular breaks.

Republicans from high-tax states like New York and California are worried about cutting back state and local tax deductions and limiting the property tax deduction to $10,000.

Assuming all Democrats vote against the GOP bill, Republican leaders can afford no more than 22 defections.

Here is a look at how the votes are stacking up.

The Hill will be updating this list. Please send updates to mmali@digital-release.thehill.com.

RECENT UPDATES: REPS. DAN DONOVAN (R-N.Y.), JOHN FASO (R-N.Y.).

This list was last updated on Nov. 16 at 9:43 a.m.

 

NO (10)

Rep. Dan Donovan (N.Y.) — Donovan announced he will join a news conference Nov. 16 to voice opposition to the House bill on the day of the vote.

Rep. John Faso (N.Y.) — Like Donovan, Faso is set to take part in a Nov. 16 press conference to highlight his opposition to the GOP bill.

Rep. Darrell Issa (Calif.)  Issa told reporters he cannot vote for bill in its current form. The measure on state and local tax deductions would hit affluent states like California hard.

Rep. Walter Jones (N.C.) — Jones, who frequently bucks House leadership, told The Hill he is a “no” because the bill raises the deficit.

Rep. Pete King (N.Y.) — King on ABC’s “This Week” said he is a “no” vote unless the state and local tax deduction is put back in.

Rep. Leonard Lance (N.J.) — Lance is a “no.” He cited changes to state and local income tax deductions.

Rep. Frank LoBiondo (N.J.) — “[T]he elimination of state and local income tax deductions and the $10,000 cap on property tax deductions would be detrimental to New Jersey residents,” LoBiondo said in a statement. Separately, he announced he would retire at the end of this Congress.

Rep. Chris Smith (N.J.) —”While I believe Americans are overtaxed and need relief, I must vote ‘no’ this week on the tax bill, H.R. 1, because of its negative impact on New Jersey and my congressional district,” he said in a statement Monday.

Rep. Elise Stefanik (N.Y.) — The co-chairwoman of the moderate Tuesday Group told reporters she is a “no,” according to Bloomberg. Stefanik voiced concerns about state and local taxes when the bill was introduced.

Rep. Lee Zeldin (N.Y.) — “We need to fix this State and Local Tax deduction issue,” the New York lawmaker said in a statement.

 

UNDECIDED/UNCLEAR (11)

Rep. Justin Amash (Mich.) — The Freedom Caucus member said it’s too early to know how the bill impacts his constituents. Amash voted “no” on the budget blueprint that opened the door to tax reform.

Rep. Andy Biggs (Ariz.) — Biggs told The Hill on Nov. 10 he’s still undecided.

Rep. Barbara Comstock (Va.) — “I’m still looking at it,” Comstock said Nov. 2, the day the bill was introduced.

Rep. Ryan Costello (Pa.)  Costello said he was still studying the bill on Nov. 2.

Rep. Warren Davidson (Ohio) — The Freedom Caucus member is undecided. “#TaxReform that raises your taxes is the wrong direction. Still reviewing scenarios from the House and Senate bills,” he tweeted Nov. 10.

Rep. Charlie Dent (Pa.)  The chairman of the moderate Tuesday Group said he’s “still reviewing it,” but there is a need for tax reform.

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (N.J.) — The chairman of the Appropriations Committee and a vulnerable Republican told reporters on Friday he was “still looking at the 400-page bill.”

Rep. John Katko (N.Y.) — Katko is reportedly undecided.

Rep. Tom McClintock (Calif.) — A McClintock spokeswoman told Morning Consult on Nov. 8 that the lawmaker wanted to keep the state and local tax deductions and was waiting to see the final package.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (Calif.) — Rohrabacher said on Nov. 13 he is still reviewing the bill.

Rep. Mark Sanford (S.C.) — Sanford is undecided. “I struggle with the degree of benefit that comes from lowering taxes on corporations but raising them on some individuals,” he said on Nov. 14. “It’s just tough to get your arms around, particularly if you’re a deficit hawk.”

 

LEANING YES (5)

Rep. Scott DesJarlais (Tenn.) — DesJarlais says he is “leaning “yes” but I’d like to see the finished product.”

Rep. Mark Meadows (N.C.)  The Freedom Caucus chairman is leaning yes. He called the bill a “work in progress” on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday.

Rep. Ann Wagner (Mo.) — Wagner said she likes the “permanence” of many tax cuts in the bill but would like them to be retroactive for one year. She is close to leadership.

Rep. Mark Walker (N.C.) — The chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee caucus has been very supportive of the tax effort. He said the tax bill “is extremely positive.”

Rep. Roger Williams (Texas) — Williams said the bill is “on the right track,” but he has concerns about a provision on the deductibility of businesses’ interest expenses.

 

YES (45)

Rep. Jim Banks (Ind.) — The freshman lawmaker tells The Hill he is a “yes.” 

Rep. Gus Bilirakis (Fla.) — Bilirakis told The Hill on Nov. 14 he will vote “yes.”

Rep. Mike Bishop (Mich.) — Bishop voted for the bill on the Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Diane Black (Tenn.) ­— Black voted for the bill on the Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Kevin Brady (Texas) — Brady is chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and the architect of the bill.

Rep. Dave Brat (Va.) — “Leadership did a great job on this thing,” said Brat.

Rep. Vern Buchanan (Fla.) — The senior Ways and Means Committee member said the bill “cuts taxes for middle-class families as well as small businesses, simplifies a broken tax code and jump-starts the economy.”

Rep. Ted Budd (N.C.)  “Since the beginning, I have asked three main questions: Will this bill cut taxes for the middle class; does this bill make our business climate competitive in the global economy; and does this bill simplify the tax filing process for people at home? The answer to all of these questions are ‘yes,’ ” he said in a statement.

Rep. Kevin Cramer (N.D.) — Cramer said he told the president he’s a “yes” on tax reform.

Rep. Carlos Curbelo (Fla.) — Curbelo voted for the bill on the Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Rodney Davis (Ill.) — Davis, the new chairman of the Republican Main Street Caucus, told The Hill he will vote “yes.”

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (Tenn.) — “I would hope it would be a big vote,” said Fleischmann.

Rep. Trent Franks (Ariz.) — Franks, a member of the Freedom Caucus, told The Hill on Nov. 14 he will vote “yes.”

Rep. Andy Harris (Md.)  He told The Hill he is a “yes” on Friday. His constituents could be heavily impacted by the changes to state and local tax deduction.

Rep. George Holding (N.C.) — Holding voted for the bill on the Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Lynn Jenkins (Kan.) — Jenkins voted for the bill on the Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Sam Johnson (Texas) — Johnson voted for the bill on the Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. David Joyce (Ohio) — Joyce told The Hill on Nov. 3 he is a “yes.” The moderate Republican voted “no” on the ObamaCare repeal.

Rep. Mike Kelly (Pa.) — Kelly voted for the bill on the Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Doug LaMalfa (Calif.) — LaMalfa told Politico he backs the bill but expects changes in conference committee.

Rep. Tom MacArthur (N.J.)  MacArthur was vocal about the state and local tax deduction but said Tuesday he would vote for the bill. The centrist said he was satisfied with a cap on those deductions.

Rep. Kenny Marchant (Texas) — Marchant voted for the bill on the Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Thomas Massie (Ky.) —”I am going to vote for this. This is a new experience for me to be excited about a bill,” he told CNN.

Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.)

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.)

Rep. Pat Meehan (Pa.) — Meehan voted for the bill on the Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Kristi Noem (S.D.) — Noem voted for the bill on the Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Devin Nunes (Calif.) — Nunes voted for the bill on the Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Erik Paulsen (Minn.) — Paulsen voted for the bill on the Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Tom Reed (N.Y.) — Reed was one of only two New York Republicans to support the budget blueprint. He serves on the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Dave Reichert (Wash.) — Reichert voted for the bill on the Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Jim Renacci (Ohio) — Renacci voted for the bill on the Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Tom Rice (S.C.) — Rice voted for the bill on the Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Peter Roskam (Ill.) — Roskam voted for the bill on the Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Dennis Ross (Fla.) — Ross told The Hill on Nov. 2 he is a “yes.” He serves as a deputy whip.

Speaker Paul Ryan (Wis.)

Majority Whip Steve Scalise (La.)

Rep. David Schweikert (Ariz.) — Schweikert voted for the bill on the Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Adrian Smith (Neb.) — Smith voted for the bill on the Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Jason Smith (Mo.) — A member of GOP leadership and the Ways and Means Committee, Smith says it’s going to be a “very strong vote.”

Rep. Pat Tiberi (Ohio) — Tiberi voted for the bill on the Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. David Valadao (Calif.) — Valadao is now a “yes,” according to The Washington Post.

Rep. Jackie Walorski (Ind.) — A member of the Ways and Means Committee, Walorski voted for the bill.

Rep. Mimi Walters (Calif.)  Walters told The Hill she would vote for the bill.

Rep. Daniel Webster (Fla.) — Webster told The Hill he is a “yes.”

Tags Andy Harris Barbara Comstock Carlos Curbelo Cathy McMorris Rodgers Charlie Dent Chuck Fleischmann Darrell Issa Dave Reichert David Joyce David Schweikert Devin Nunes Diane Black Doug LaMalfa Erik Paulsen Frank LoBiondo George Holding John Faso John Katko Justin Amash Kenny Marchant Kevin Brady Kevin Cramer Kevin McCarthy Kristi Noem Leonard Lance Lynn Jenkins Mark Meadows Mike Kelly Pat Meehan Paul Ryan Pete King Rodney Davis Rodney Frelinghuysen Roger Williams Ryan Costello Sam Johnson Ted Budd Thomas Massie Tom MacArthur Tom McClintock Tom Reed Tom Rice Trent Franks Vern Buchanan Walter Jones Warren Davidson

Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.