Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said he would throw the individual side of the Republican tax plan “directly to the incinerator” if he could during an interview on Tuesday morning.
Speaking with CNBC, Corker expressed some skepticism about the tax plan, particularly about how it might damage “the nation over the long haul.”
“If we could take the entire individual side of this, throw it in the trash can and take it directly to the incinerator, I would be thrilled if we were only dealing with the business side as it’s turned out, as you look at the policies in the individual side,” he said. “But I’m willing to swallow the individual side, which to me is not what it needs to be, to get the business side as long as we’re not increasing deficit.”
The Senate may vote on the tax plan this week—but with Republicans holding 52 of the 100 seats in the chamber, they can not afford to lose more than two votes in order to pass it.
Corker has also spoken about adding provisions to the bill that would automatically increase taxes should the projected revenues of the Republican tax bill fail to reach their target.
In the interview, Corker said it was “ridiculous” to think he would not vote for the bill because of his feud with President Donald Trump.
“I’ve been in the Senate for 11 years. I’ve been a deficit hawk for 11 years,” he said, according to CNBC. “I’ve been working with the administration on almost every level throughout this entire episode.”
Last month Trump put Corker into his Twitter crosshairs by saying he “couldn’t be elected dog catcher,” after Corker announced he would not seek reelection in 2018. The two men got into a Twitter spat in early October when Trump said the senator “begged” him to endorse him.
Corker responded by tweeting that it was a “shame” that the White House has become “an adult day care center.”
You can read CNBC’s report here.