WASHINGTON _ Vice President Mike Pence is delaying his trip to Egypt and Israel for a second time in case he is needed to break a tie in the Senate for the tax bill that is expected to pass narrowly this week.
Two White House officials confirmed the changed schedule, which they say is unrelated to protests in the region over the administration's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Pence had initially been scheduled to leave last Saturday. Late last week, the White House moved the trip back a few days to Tuesday night, in case Pence was needed to break a Senate tie. But Monday, they decided to postpone the trip further, to January, given the possibility of a late Senate vote and the coming holidays.
"He wants to see it through the finish line," said a White House official, referring to the tax measure that is a centerpiece of the Republican legislative agenda. "We don't want to leave anything to chance."
The mid-January dates will allow Pence more breathing room to merge schedules with embassies and hotels, the official said. President Donald Trump still plans to address the Israeli Knesset to discuss the Jerusalem decision where it is most popular.
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