Pence casts sixth tie-breaking vote as VP

[Ballotpedia]( [View this email in your browser]( [The Daily Brew]( Tie-breakers Late Friday night, Vice President Mike Pence broke a tie in favor of an amendment to the tax bill to allow the use of 529 savings accounts to pay for elementary and secondary school costs, including private-school tuition. Senator Susan Collins (R) of Maine and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R) of Alaska voted against the amendment alongside all of the Democratic senators. It was the sixth tie-breaking vote cast by Pence. [Tie-breakers] [Read more about tie-breaking votes cast by vice presidents]( Share via:   [Facebook](   [Twitter](     Trump reinforces endorsement of Moore in Alabama Senate race  President Donald Trump tweeted his support for former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore (R) in the Alabama Senate special election on Monday, writing, "Democrats refusal to give even one vote for massive Tax Cuts is why we need Republican Roy Moore to win in Alabama. We need his vote on stopping crime, illegal immigration, Border Wall, Military, Pro Life, V.A., Judges 2nd Amendment and more. No to Jones, a Pelosi/Schumer Puppet!" A White House official also said Monday morning that Trump endorsed Moore following a phone call with the Senate candidate.  While Trump has said that he would not stump for Moore in Alabama, he is scheduled to hold a rally 20 miles away in Pensacola, Florida, on Friday, four days before the Alabama Senate special election on December 12. A new CBS News poll released on Sunday found Moore leading Jones by six points, 49 percent to 43 percent. A majority of Republicans surveyed—71 percent—called the sexual misconduct and assault allegations against Moore false. Since those allegations were published a month ago, Moore and Jones have traded leads in the polls. A Washington Post/Schar School poll had Jones up by three points on Saturday, 50 percent to 47 percent. [Learn more →](   New York Senate IDC ends caucus-relationship with Republican Party Democrats and the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) in the New York Senate announced on November 28 that the two factions reached a tentative agreement to work together in next year’s legislative session. The IDC is made up of eight members who have had a coalition with Republicans since 2012. The deal between the Democrats and the IDC will include shared leadership between Democratic leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and IDC leader Jeff Klein. Democrats held a numerical advantage in the state Senate after the 2012 elections, but the Senate’s Independent Democratic Conference broke away from the Democratic Party and formed a legislative coalition with Senate Republicans. This gave Republicans control of the Senate. Senate Democrats won a special election in 2016 that gave them a one-seat advantage over Republicans, but the coalition has kept the chamber in Republican control. The announcement on Tuesday came one day after the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) threatened to support the primary challengers in the races against the eight IDC members unless the members broke their coalition with Republicans. The combination of the two groups will still leave Democrats short of a 32-seat majority. Numerically, Democrats would hold 32 of the chamber’s 63 seats, but Sen. Simcha Felder (D) has caucused with Republicans since 2013. [Learn more →](   Ballotpedia depends on the support of our readers. The Lucy Burns Institute, publisher of Ballotpedia, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law. Donations to the Lucy Burns Institute or Ballotpedia do not support any candidates or campaigns. [Donate Securely Online]( Decide which emails you want from Ballotpedia. [Unsubscribe]( or [adjust your preferences]( →   [Facebook](   [Twitter](