"If they are interested in making the individual rates permanent that’s something we ought to take a look at. I don’t know why we wouldn’t want to do that," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo McConnell considering vote to make tax cuts permanent

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is weighing whether to force a vote on making the GOP's temporary tax cuts for individuals permanent.

The Kentucky Republican told reporters Tuesday the chamber "may" hold a vote this year on extending the tax cuts. While the 2017 law provided permanent tax cuts on corporations, tax cuts for regular people expire in 2027 due to Senate rule constraints.


House GOP leaders are planning a similar effort. However, because Senate Republicans aren't using the "reconciliation" procedure to pass a tax cut bill on party lines, Democratic support would be needed — an unlikely scenario. At least nine Democrats would have to join with Republicans to pass such a bill and break a 60-vote threshold.

"If they are interested in making the individual rates permanent that’s something we ought to take a look at. I don’t know why we wouldn’t want to do that," McConnell said. "I’m skeptical there’s a desire here but of course we’d like to make the individual tax cuts permanent."

Even if Democrats won't support the proposal, such a vote may have political utility after Senate Democrats opposed last year's tax measure. Ten Democrats are up for reelection this year in states that President Donald Trump won, and voting against tax cuts a second time could be fodder for Republicans looking to pick up Senate seats.

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said his caucus would wait and see what the GOP's bill actually does. But Democrats' preference is to raise taxes on corporations from 21 to 25 percent and plow tax breaks for the wealthy into a massive infrastructure bill.

“We'd have to see what their bill is,” Schumer said. “They promised that everyone would get a $4,000 break. It’s not even close to that. Let’s see the bill they bring to the floor.”