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Susan Collins Says She's 'Confident' Of GOP Leaders' Promises On Tax Bill

Susan Walsh
/
Associated Press
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, center, walks with Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., left, and Sen. Luther Strange R-Ala., right, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Dec. 1, 2017.

Speaking Sunday on the CBS's Face The Nation, Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins discussed the GOP tax bill, saying Republican leaders have assured her that changes she is seeking will be included in the bill as a committee hammers out a final version. 

She said she has no reason not to believe those promises. One of them is that Medicare won't be slashed to pay for the $1.4 trillion tax cut.

But Face the Nation host John Dickerson questioned Collins on that assurance. "Paul Ryan seemed to suggest maybe he wasn't party to that agreement, what is -- where do things stand on that agreement?" he asked.

"I have written correspondence that memorializes the agreement that the 4 percent cut in Medicare that could go into effect will not go into effect," Collins said. "I would point out that that law has been waived 16 times. It has never been implemented. But I don't want seniors to have the anxiety of wondering whether the tax bill somehow is going to trigger a cut in Medicare. I'm absolutely confident. I have it in writing, a statement by both Mitch McConnell and Speaker Ryan."

Other assurances Collins says she has received include the advancement of a pair of bills designed to stabilize and reduce health premium costs, and offset increases that may be triggered by the Senate tax bill's repeal of the individual mandate.