POLITICAL FIGURES/TAXES: “Orrin Hatch is facing one of the toughest tasks of his 40-year political career: Ushering a massive tax reform bill through a narrowly divided Senate…
He has few votes to spare with Republicans holding a 52-seat majority in the Senate. Some GOP lawmakers are wavering and Democratic opposition is loud and insistent. There’s no clear strategy for Hatch to win over some lawmakers without alienating others. Meanwhile, polling suggests voters are opposed to the GOP tax plans and Hatch’s negotiating skills could be undercut by persistent rumors that he will soon retire, with Mitt Romney positioned to succeed him.
But perhaps the biggest challenge facing Hatch is the existential crisis emerging from Republicans anxious that they haven’t racked up any legislative accomplishments this year despite the party holding complete control of Washington. That’s creating a sense of urgency to pass something — virtually anything — that they can show voters going into next year’s midterm elections.”
-Maeve Reston, Ted Barrett, and Ashley Killough, “Hatch’s big moment arrives as tax fight heads to Senate floor,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, Nov. 27, 2017 06:14am