Oregon Rep. Greg Walden said on Tuesday that the final version of the Republican tax plan will shield some residents in the state from tax increases they would have faced under earlier versions of the bill.

The plan passed the U.S. House on Tuesday and is expected to come up for a Senate vote later Tuesday or early Wednesday, before going back for one final vote in the House.

Walden is the only Republican in Oregon's congressional delegation, and he sought to promote the benefits of the tax plan even as polls have shown the bill is unpopular with the public.

"I don't think we've been effectively able to get our messaging through," Walden said of Congressional Republicans. "For most Oregonians, they're going to see real relief."

A family of four earning the median income of $50,000 in eastern Oregon will pay $1,300 a year less in taxes under the bill, according to Walden's office. Critics have pointed out the tax breaks for individuals end after eight years, while the corporate cuts are permanent.

In a call with Oregon reporters that lasted just under 30 minutes, Walden said he got other Republicans to sign off on a provision to allow taxpayers to deduct up to $10,000 in state and local property, income and sales taxes from their federal returns. The state and local tax deductions were more severely restricted or eliminated in earlier versions of the plan. Walden said he also pushed to keep the medical expense deduction and actually raise it temporarily.

Walden, who is from Hood River, said he also advocated to keep incentives for affordable housing construction and higher education. He said the bill will fuel job growth, but declined to cite any examples of large or small businesses in Oregon that have told him they will grow their payrolls.

"I talked to company heads not only in Oregon, but around the country that tell me they will bring that money back, they will invest it here in America," Walden said. "I'm not going to get into naming every business I've talked with. But I can tell you that when you make more money available, as a former small business owner, you want to grow your business, you want to invest."

Walden said one Oregon company that would likely benefit from the bill is Intel. William Moss, a spokesman for the company, agreed.

"Although it's too early for us to detail specific business decisions, we believe this tax reform bill can help level the playing field for U.S. manufacturers and make us more competitive in today's global economy," Moss wrote in an email. "The bill should also spur further investment in American manufacturing and (research and development)."

Nike, another company Walden's office cited as a beneficiary of the tax plan, did not respond to a request for comment.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, of Portland, said companies used the money they brought back to the U.S. under previous tax breaks to buy back shares and purchase other companies.

"The business community has been very clear, despite prodding by the Trump administration, that's still their priority," Blumenauer said.

He predicted the tax plan will come back to haunt Republicans in upcoming elections, as voters see how companies use their windfalls and more examples emerge of special provisions that were tucked into the bill to win specific lawmakers' votes. Blumenauer also pointed out that future generations will have to deal with the nearly $1.5 trillion increase in the deficit, projected by the Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation.

"It's not a case of messaging," Blumenauer said of the unpopularity of the Republican tax plan. "People can figure this out."

This story has been updated to reflect the following correction: an earlier version of this story incorrectly listed Walden's hometown.

-- Hillary Borrud

503-294-4034; @hborrud