The Senate has passed the biggest tax overhaul in decades just three weeks after similar legislation was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives.

The bill, called the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, was approved just before 2 a.m. on Saturday with no Democratic support. The vote was 51-49 vote.

Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee was the only Republican to vote against the bill.

Last-minute changes to the bill continued late into the day on Friday, an action that caused heated exchanges between Democrats and Republicans as the hours ticked on.

“The American people have a right to know what you’re sticking in this bill,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-O.R.  He and other Democrats criticized Republicans for not giving members enough time to read the revised legislation.

U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, D-12, expressed further concern with the bill after voting no to it on Nov. 16.

“The Republican tax plan adds trillions to the deficit and increases taxes on working families to give a tax cut to corporations and the wealthy,” she said. “I could not support this selfish measure …. It’s time Congress got back to working for the good of all Americans, not just the wealthy few.”

The Senate and House will soon go to conference to reconcile their two bills.

Pointedly, the Senate bill:

• Changes the personal income tax rates to 10, 12, 22, 24, 32, 35 and 38.5 percent (from 10, 15, 25, 28, 33, 35 and 39.6 percent)
• Doubles the standard deductions to $12,000 for individuals and $24,000 for couples
• Eliminates the current $4,050 personal exemption
• Ends federal deductions for state and local income and sales taxes
• Doubles per-child tax credit to $2,000
• Ends deductions for moving expenses and tax preparation
• Repeals the tax penalty for failing to purchase health insurance
• Reduces the number of people who have to pay the alternative minimum tax
• Doubles the limits on the inheritance tax to $11 million for individuals and $22 million for couples
• Allows people to deduct 23 percent of their earning and pay personal income tax rate on the remainder
• Expands write-off allowed for companies that buy equipment
• Imposes one-time tax on profits that U.S.-based corporations are holding overseas
• Ends tax advantages for firms moving overseas
• Requires corporations to continue paying the business version of the alternative minimum tax

In statements reacting to the bill, one of North Carolina’s senators said he was confident the bill would deliver on promises to provide “much-needed tax relief.”

First to respond was Senator Thom Tillis.

“Today, the Senate voted to take us one step closer to historic tax reform that will lead to bigger paychecks for hardworking Americans, and will make our nation more competitive at the global level,” he said. “In the coming days, differences between the House and Senate versions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will be resolved and improvements will be made ….”

Senator Ricard Burr was equally positive about the bill’s passage.

“I’m incredibly pleased to see the Senate’s passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act this morning,” he said in a Saturday news release, “This bill is an historic opportunity to reform a broken tax code that hasn’t worked for the people of this country in years. We have a responsibility to get our economy moving and put more money back in the pockets of the hard-working Americans who earned it in the first place.”

Bipartisan gun bills move onward

U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) has co-sponsored bipartisan legislation to ensure federal and state authorities accurately report relevant criminal history records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

The bill, called the Fix NICS Act, penalizes federal agencies who fail to properly report relevant records. It also incentivizes states to improve their overall reporting and directs more federal funding to the accurate reporting of domestic violence records.

“The Fix NICS Act … strikes the right balance between addressing legitimate public safety concerns and protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans,” said Senator Tillis. “The legislation will ensure that state and federal agencies follow our existing laws and that the national background check system receives the information necessary to prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands.”

Tillis’ bill has received endorsements from the National Rifle Association of America, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Fraternal Order of Police, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the National Network to End Domestic Violence, and the National Sheriffs Association.

It was passed by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday with a 17-6 bipartisan vote, alongside the party-line approval of Rep. Richard Hudson’s Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017.

Hudson’s bill is scheduled for a house vote next week.

“An overwhelming majority of Americans support concealed carry reciprocity. Momentum, common sense, and the facts are on our side,” said Rep. Hudson. “I want to thank Speaker Paul Ryan for his strong support of the Second Amendment, and I urge my colleagues to support this … bill to protect law-abiding citizens.”