House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday that Democratic leadership is holding back their members from voting for the tax plan.

“I talked to a lot of Democrats on the floor. If their leadership would let them go, I bet there’d be quite a few,” Mr. McCarthy, California Republican, said on Fox News. “I think we’re going to get some [Democrats] because this is really an American tax plan. This is for all of America that’s going to help everybody.”

Mr. McCarthy said that although the tax reform plan is relatively new, Republicans have been working on a possible change to the tax system for years.

“We put it out to the American public and this is what we simply said. We want a tax code that’s fair. We want one that produces growth, especially for the hardworking taxpayers, and we want America to be competitive around the world,” he said.

With the budget passing the Senate last week, Republicans are one step closer to passing tax reform with a simple majority. The bill is back in the House, but President Trump has urged Republicans to pass the budget quickly and move to taxes.

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