Led by a historically unpopular president, Republicans are fractured along nationalist, libertarian and ideological contours on the most visible issues. Had Republicans been able to woo a few Democrats into voting for the bill, senators could have waived the rule. Republicans passed the tax bill, claiming it would pay for itself — despite nonpartisan congressional scorekeepers’ analysis to the contrary. But Senate GOP leaders did draw the line when some colleagues advocated dismantling the Byrd Rule, a parliamentary requirement that made it harder for senators to repeal the ACA. Republican lawmakers also kicked the can in their signature tax law when they failed to make individual tax cuts permanent.

Source: Washington Post December 28, 2017 09:56 UTC