WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on a motion to proceed on a Republican tax bill on Wednesday, a Republican lawmaker said, an action that could allow the chamber to vote on whether to adopt the tax-cut legislation as early as Thursday.

“Today we have a pretty good vote, motion to proceed on our tax reform,” Senator Dean Heller, a member of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, told a news conference. The Senate was due to convene at noon ET (1700 GMT).

“I’m going to bet that the motion to proceed passes and we’ll be well on our way to give tax reform to the American people as we move forward,” Heller added.