Senate Clears Major Hurdle, Opening Door for Trump's Tax Cuts

The Senate has cleared the way to start work on President Trump's top priority – a tax reform plan with major tax cuts for businesses and the middle class.

Republicans say they want to make the economy stronger and put more money in people's wallets.

But first, the Senate had to pass a $4 trillion budget to set the stage for the debate on the tax code, and they got that job done last night.

Republicans want to completely overhaul the U.S. tax code, which includes cutting rates for individuals and corporations while at the same time eliminating trillions of dollars of deductions and special interest tax breaks.

"The president and I believe that the tax codes are too complicated. Maybe some of you agree," Vice President Mike Pence said while touting tax reform in New York.

"The truth is that the American people spend millions of hours and billions of dollars filling out our taxes every year," Pence said. "Under the President's plan, 90 percent of the American people will be able to file their taxes on one piece of paper without professional help."

But divisions within the GOP could hold up the process. Appearing on CBN's online political show Faith Nation, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., stressed the importance of getting something done.

Rubio told CBN News he's concerned the GOP could face backlash in the midterm elections if they don't come through.

"I think if we don't do what we said we were going to do, people have a right to ask, why do we need you there? It's frustrating as someone who has supported all of these things, to see one or two people standing in the way of us actually doing. Hopefully that will change with tax reform," Rubio said.

READ: Senator Rubio Tells Critics of His Bible Verse Tweets: 'I'll Continue to Do It'

Democrats blasted the GOP budget saying it will shower benefits on top-bracket earners, corporations, business partnerships, and people inheriting multi-million dollar estates.  

Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said, "I think it is terribly important and I really do appeal to the media to allow for a serious discussion on what I consider to be the cruelest and most unfair budget presented by the majority party in the modern history of this country."

"We beat the Trump health care scam twice and we're going to beat them a third time on his tax scam," Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said.

President Trump promises the tax plan is aimed at helping the middle class. All told, Senate Republicans would also cut spending by more than $5 trillion over a decade, though it's unclear where the cuts would come from.

It's a heavy lift to pass tax reform by the end of the year. But if Congress can do it, this would be the first bill of its kind passed since 1986 under President Reagan.