Trump meets with GOP senators on tax reform amid renewed feuds
President Trump  met Tuesday with Senate Republicans in hopes of forging the kind of party unity needed to pass tax reform and other legislative goals before next yearâs congressional elections  even as  he  and key lawmakers clashed on the sidelines.
In the lead-up to Tuesday's meeting   Trump  and Sen. Bob Corker  R-Tenn.  reignited a simmering feud with a round of barbed insults.
Corker and Sen. John McCain  R-Ariz. -- another occasional  Trump  adversary -- both emerged from the meeting Tuesday afternoon without answering questions from reporters.
Louisiana GOP Sen. John Kennedy told reporters that  Trump  and Corker did not speak directly during the meeting  which he described as "very cordial." Kennedy said the meeting ended with standing ovations.
However  he said  Trump  set no deadline for Congress to send a tax bill to his desk.
"We had a very  very good meeting " Kennedy said  urging  Trump  to travel across the country to sell a tax plan. Asked repeatedly about the Corker feud  Kennedy said there were no conversations about  Trump 's tweets.
With the tax plan   Trump  is still trying for a major legislative win after Republicans failed this summer to pass legislation to dismantle ObamaCare. The Senate passed a related budget plan last week -- but specifics on the tax legislation are still being worked out  including over tax rates and provisions for popular benefits like pretax 401(k) contributions.
But hopes of unity faced another setback Tuesday morning when Corker reignited his feud with  Trump .
 Trump  responded with a series of vitriolic tweets including: âIsnât it sad that lightweight Senator Bob Corker  who couldnât get re-elected in the Great State of Tennessee  will now fight Tax Cuts plus!â
 The president  appeared last week to settle  his  differences with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell  R-Ky.  emerging from a White House meeting to say his relationship with the Senate Republican leader is âbetter than ever.â
However  McCain and other GOP senators still appear at odds with  Trump   who essentially needs consensus from the 52-member Senate Republican conference to get a simple 51-vote majority to pass tax reform and most other legislative proposals.
McCain on Sunday took a swipe at  Trump  when he said on C-SPAN that the U.S. military has âdrafted the lowest income level of America and the highest income level found a doctor that would say they had a bone spur."
 Trump  had five draft deferments  including one granted after  he  submitted a physician's letter stating  he  suffered from such spurs in  his  feet.
House Speaker Paul Ryan  R-Wis.  said Tuesday  he  expects  his  chamber to have its final tax bill ready by the Thanksgiving holiday but that the Senate is going to be âa little slower â which would mean the final package would likely be ready by yearâs end.
âAt the end of the day â¦ Bobâs going to vote for tax reform because he knows itâs in the best interest of Americans. So put this Twitter dispute aside â Ryan also said about the Corker-Trump feud.
Trump said Monday in a tweet: "There will be NO change to your 401(k). This has always been a great and popular middle class tax break that works  and it stays!"
[TGT] met Tuesday with Senate Republicans in hopes of forging the kind of party unity needed to pass tax reform and other legislative goals before next yearâs congressional elections  even as   [TGT]   and key lawmakers clashed on the sidelines.
In the lead-up to Tuesday's meeting    [TGT] and Sen. Bob Corker  R-Tenn.  reignited a simmering feud with a round of barbed insults.
Corker and Sen. John McCain  R-Ariz. -- another occasional   [TGT]   adversary -- both emerged from the meeting Tuesday afternoon without answering questions from reporters.
Louisiana GOP Sen. John Kennedy told reporters that   [TGT] and Corker did not speak directly during the meeting  which he described as "very cordial." Kennedy said the meeting ended with standing ovations.
However  he said   [TGT]   set no deadline for Congress to send a tax bill to his desk.
"We had a very  very good meeting " Kennedy said  urging   [TGT] to travel across the country to sell a tax plan. Asked repeatedly about the Corker feud  Kennedy said there were no conversations about  Trump 's tweets.
With the tax plan    [TGT] is still trying for a major legislative win after Republicans failed this summer to pass legislation to dismantle ObamaCare. The Senate passed a related budget plan last week -- but specifics on the tax legislation are still being worked out  including over tax rates and provisions for popular benefits like pretax 401(k) contributions.
But hopes of unity faced another setback Tuesday morning when Corker reignited his feud with  [TGT]  .
  [TGT] responded with a series of vitriolic tweets including: âIsnât  [TGT]  sad that lightweight Senator Bob Corker  who couldnât get re-elected in the Great State of Tennessee  will now fight Tax Cuts plus!â
 The president  appeared last week to settle  his  differences with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell  R-Ky.  emerging from a White House meeting to say his relationship with the Senate Republican leader is âbetter than ever.â
However  McCain and other GOP senators still appear at odds with  Trump   who essentially needs consensus from the 52-member Senate Republican conference to get a simple 51-vote majority to pass tax reform and most other legislative proposals.
McCain on Sunday took a swipe at  [TGT] when he said on C-SPAN that the U.S. military has âdrafted the lowest income level of America and the highest income level found a doctor that would say they had a bone spur. [TGT] 
had five draft deferments  including one granted after   [TGT]   submitted a physician's letter stating   [TGT]   suffered from such spurs in  his  feet.
House Speaker Paul Ryan  R-Wis.  said Tuesday  he  expects  his  chamber to have its final tax bill ready by the Thanksgiving holiday but that the Senate is going to be âa little slower â which would mean the final package would likely be ready by yearâs end.
âAt the end of the day â¦ Bobâs going to vote for tax reform because he knows itâs in the best interest of Americans. So put this Twitter dispute aside â Ryan also said about the Corker-Trump feud.
 [TGT]  said Monday in a tweet: "There will be NO change to your 401(k). This has always been a great and popular middle class tax break that works  and it stays!"