Politics

Pence Postpones Trip to Middle East, Citing Vote on Tax Bill This Week

By MICHAEL TACKETT

Vice President Mike Pence might be needed to break a tie vote on tax overhaul legislation this week in the Senate. Doug Mills/The New York Times

WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence is pushing back his long-planned trip to the Middle East, his office confirmed Monday, citing the vote on the tax overhaul legislation this week.

“The largest tax cut in American history is a landmark accomplishment for President Trump and a relief to millions of hardworking Americans,” said Alyssa Farah, Mr. Pence’s press secretary. “The vice president is committed to seeing the tax cut through to the finish line.”

She added that Mr. Pence “looks forward to traveling to Egypt and Israel in January.”

The decision also came amid mounting tension in the region over President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. On Monday, the United States, using its veto power as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, blocked a Council resolution demanding that the Trump administration rescind its decision.

Palestinians demonstrating on Sunday near the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank city of Bethlehem against a scheduled visit by Vice President Mike Pence. Mahmoud Illean/Associated Press

Mr. Trump said that he had decided to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital to keep a campaign promise, noting that several of his predecessors had vowed to do so, but never did.

The move outraged Palestinians, and Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, canceled a meeting scheduled with Mr. Pence in protest.

The one-page resolution, drafted by Egypt, reiterated the longstanding position of the Security Council, in several resolutions dating back 50 years, rejecting Israel’s sovereignty over Jerusalem, a holy city revered by Christians, Jews and Muslims. The draft resolution also reiterated the Council’s view that no country should establish an embassy in Jerusalem and that Jerusalem’s status was an issue to be resolved by Israel and the Palestinians, who want eastern Jerusalem to be the capital of a future Palestinian state.

A senior Trump administration official, who spoke on the condition on anonymity, said that Mr. Pence had already pushed back the trip by a couple of days because of the anticipated vote on the tax bill. Now that the vote could come either late Tuesday or early Wednesday, the official said that they had decided to move the trip to the week of Jan. 14 to have more time in the region and to possibly meet with more leaders.

Mr. Pence was mindful that Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, was returning to his home state for cancer treatment, leaving Republicans with only 51 votes for the tax bill. The vice president wanted to make sure that he was in place to break a tie if it were necessary, the official said.