Impending tax vote postpones Pence’s Mideast trip
WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence on Monday postponed his trip to Egypt and Israel until mid-january, citing the need to preside over the Senate on a sweeping tax overhaul.
Pence will instead travel to the Middle East during the week of Jan. 14 so he can be in the Senate for Tuesday’s expected tax vote.
Senior White House officials said the uncertainty of the timing of the Senate vote could have pushed back Pence’s schedule in Egypt and Israel, and the vice president thought it was important to be in the Senate in case he was needed to break a tie vote. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal plans. Pence had been expected to depart for Egypt on Tuesday night, followed by a visit to Israel and then a meeting with U.S. troops in Germany. The vice president’s office had originally planned for him to leave on Saturday night for Israel but pushed back his departure because of the pending tax bill.
The schedule shift follows President Donald Trump’s Dec. 6 announcement recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, which prompted Palestinian officials and leading Muslim and Christian clerics in Egypt to refuse to meet with Pence.
“The vice president is committed to seeing the tax cut through to the finish line,” Alyssa Farah, Pence’s press secretary, said in a statement. She said Pence “looks forward to traveling to Egypt and Israel in January.”