Thread by @endtimespeptalk

Listen up dummies!
1/ Here’s the scoop on what they hell is going on with #GOPTaxScam.
A couple days ago, the conference committee (Senate and House conferees) for #TaxCutsandJobsAct (barf) or #HR1 voted to move the bill to the House for a vote.

2/ This morning the House voted (227-203) to pass and it moved to the Senate.
(Ok, we knew that would happen, the House if fucking crazy and no one really understands them.)

3/ The Senate is slightly less batshit crazy and is where the real shit happens.
Sooooo…this afternoon, because the GOP is RUSHING to get this passed AND the Senate votes on EVERYTHING; a Motion to Proceed (MTP) on #HR1 passed (51-48 McCain absent).

THIS WASN'T THE ACTUAL VOTE:
This just means that yes, the Senate agrees to consider HR1 and plans to vote on passage.

Easy peasy right?
NOT SO FAST ASSHOLES.

Individual Senators can raise a “point of order” on any provision in a budget rec. bill they think violates the rules, prompting parliamentarian review.

As it turns out…
Dem Senators are paying fucking attention and racing the clock to comb 600 pages of tax policy (thanks to badass #resistance activists) looking for violations. They found *at least* two this afternoon.

and parliamentarian was all (*dramatization*) "sorry fuckers—they're right. This shit need to go"

WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN?!
Good question!
It means the Senate has two options:
1. Get rid of the provision
2. Move it out of reconciliation leaving it open to filibuster.

The second option is out of the fucking question because this bill is absolutely terrible and everyone hates it (except corporations—apparently they're people now too).

They're going to have to get rid of the violations.

Huh? WHY IS THAT A BIG DEAL?
Another good question imaginary twitter person!
The House and Senate must pass identical bills...so guess what!?

If the Senate changes one word the bill goes back to the House and they have to vote AGAIN.
Ok, so what's the big deal—they're just going to pass it right?

Not so fast.
In Oct. Congress had to pass a budget resolution to lay out directives for the tax bill (it's a weird budget rec process, just go with it) which included a 1.5 trillion cap on expanding the deficit over 10 years.

The last CBO score came in just under that (1.47 trillion), but that was before the conference changes. Part of the reason they're trying to rush this bill through is to beat the new CBO score.

Recent reports show the reconciled bill may expand the deficit to 1.7!
Wait a second—that's MORE than 1.5! (EXACTLY)

Even though the two provisions raised today are small and won't impact the overall bill much, it could buy enough time for the CBO to score the latest version.

If that score comes in over the 1.5 threshold we have a shot to stop this thing. Not only does it give us time to organize, but the GOP may end up having to cut some things.. (ahem— #CorkerKickback)

Short story long...
We've bought *some* time.

CALL YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS: [phone]
RAISE HELL
REPEAT
#StopGOPTaxScam
#NotOnePenny