Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Photo: J. Scott Applewhite / AP
The GOP tax plan was passed through the Senate Friday night in a 51-49 vote. There are a number of things included in the last-minute text, including a provision by Sen. Gardner of Colorado that exempts Kombucha, a fermented tea drink, from alcoholic taxes and regulations.
Why it matters: These are small examples of what got slipped in the bill last-minute as the Senate vote neared, and some reveal senators' pet projects back in their home states.
Odd amendments included in the tax plan:
Sen. Orrin Hatch
- Prohibit things like cash and gift cards to be given as employee achievement awards.
- Makes qualifying private religious school tuition deductible.
Sen. Joni Ernst
- Eliminate Congress' tax deduction for living expenses in D.C. Per the Omaha World-Herald, Ernst said: "Congress should lead by example and offer up its own unnecessary tax break."
Sen. Jerry Moran
- Treat Indian tribal governments as State governments for specific Federal tax purposes, and others.
Sen. Pat Toomey
- Tax exemption for Hillsdale College (and only Hillsdale College) in Michigan. The small Christian college has connections to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. It was ultimately struck out of the Senate's final version of the bill.
Sen. Dan Sullivan
- Exempts cruise ships from taxes while docking in Alaska.
Sen. Cory Gardner
- Exempts kombucha, a fermented tea, from alcoholic beverage excise taxes and regulations.
- Allow deductions and credits relating to expenditures in connection with legal marijuana sales.