Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on December 6, 2017, announced conferees for the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" (H.R. 1) after the Senate voted 51-47 to go to conference with the House and considered nonbinding motions to instruct conferees. A public conference meeting could be held before the end of the week.

The Senate conferees are:

1. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
2. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY)
3. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
4. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)
5. Senator John Thune (R-SD)
6. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH)
7. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC)
8. Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA)

The House conferees (named on Monday) are:

1. Conference Chair: Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX)
2. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA)
3. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL)
4. Rep. Diane Black (R-TN)
5. Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD)
6. Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT)
7. Rep. Don Young (R-AK)
8. Energy and Commerce Energy Subcommittee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI)
9. Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL)

Upton has replaced E&C Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR), who was initially named as a conferee.

The Senate conferees were appointed after Senate Democrats utilized debate time and motions to instruct conferees to voice opposition to both the substance of the tax bill and a legislative process in which they have had little input or influence. Motions to instruct conferees are not binding on Senate conferees but are sometimes used to demonstrate support for a particular provision heading into conference.

Senator Marco Rubio's (R-FL) motion to instruct conferees to increase the refundable child tax credit to at least $2,000 and provide that the full credit should be available to more low-income families was adopted by voice vote.

Senator Angus King's (I-ME) motion to instruct conferees to report back a deficit-neutral bill was defeated on a 48-50 vote.

Senator Debbie Stabenow's (D-MI) motion to instruct conferees to provide that the corporate rate will revert to current law if middle class workers don't receive the $4,000 benefit from the tax bill as promised was defeated on a 44-54 vote.

Senator Cory Booker's (D-NJ) motion to instruct conferees that the conference report should not increase the number of Americans without health care coverage or increase health insurance premiums was defeated on a vote of 47-51.

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