Article snippet: House Republicans on Thursday narrowly adopted the Senate’s version of the 2018 budget resolution, overcoming a key hurdle for the party’s tax-reform plan. The budget will allow Republicans to pass a tax overhaul that adds up to $1.5 trillion to the deficit through a process known as reconciliation, which only requires 51 votes to pass in the Senate. Twenty Republicans voted against the budget in the 216-212 vote, more than the 18 who voted against the original House version earlier this month. Most of the 20 defectors were centrists hailing from populous states that could stand to lose from eliminating the state and local tax deduction. Those lawmakers included Reps. Dan Donovan (N.Y.), MORE (Pa.), John Katko (N.Y.), Pete King (N.Y.), Leonard Lance (N.J.), Frank LoBiondo (N.J.), Tom MacArthur (N.J.), Chris Smith (N.J.), Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), Claudia Tenney (N.Y.) and Lee Zeldin (N.Y.). "We must provide middle-class tax relief and lower the burdens on job-creating small businesses. I could not, however, vote in support of a budget resolution that singled out for elimination the ability of New York families to deduct state and local taxes," Faso said in a statement. Some Republicans, like Katko, were seen on the House floor hovering near the House GOP whip team and waited until the last moment to cast their votes. Two more votes in opposition would have doomed final passage. A handful of conservatives also voted against the budget: Reps. MORE (Fla.), Lynn Jenkin... Link to the full article to read more