Vote. After a string of high profile failures in congress, the vote marked the first legislative win for the Trump Administration and for the republicans who lost who control, rather, the congress. But that victory overshadowed by a Seismic Shift in the russia investigation. Focus on the former president S National Security adviser, Michael Flynn. Flynn pleaded guilty. You see him here leaving court there. Pleaded guilty to lying to the fbi in the probe of Russian Election meddling on friday. With this, flynn is now the fourth Trump Campaign official to be caught up in this investigation. So far, and the second to plead guilty. So fair to say, a lot to talk about today. Lets now listen to that moment just hours ago that moment when the tax bill passed through the u. S. Senate. On this vote, the yeas 51. And the nays are 49. The tax cuts and jobs act as amended is passed. The Vice President of the United States, mike pence, providing there. President donald trump tweeted his congratulations saying the this, we are one step closer to delivering massive tax cuts for working families across america. Special thanks to Senate Majority leader Mitch Mcconnell and chairman sneer orrin hatch for shepherding our bill through the senate. He adds he looks forward to signing a final bill before christmas. Cnns phil mat theingly has b ms been at capitol hill overmight. They are now on the brink of huge, Senate Voting 5149 to pass the republican tax overall plan. That means both the house and the senate have passed their own versions of this. Its one step closer to be signed into law, to being sen to the president s desk and becoming that major legislative achievement of 2017. Democrats very opposed to this tax plan from the beginning, unify in their opposition on the floor and furious about the process, a process that led Senate Majority leader Mitch Mcconnell to know he had the votes at 10 00 a. M. On friday morning and still not release the bill until 8 00 p. M. Later that day. Democrats waiving legislative tax, happened writing, making substantive changes, saying they hadnt seen the bill. Take a listen. Is this how you envisioned passing such a large legislative this was done through the regular order. The democrats had plenty of notice. Chairman hatch can attest to all the multiple hearings, markups, open amendment process. Everybody had plenty of opportunity to see the measure. You complain about process when youre losing. And thats what you heard on the floor tonight. Now, guys, that isnt the final step. The senate still has to take another vote. So does the house. Right now, both chambers will have to reconcile their bills which have significant difference necessary various parts, but the framework of the two is the same. If you talk to officials, they believe the senate was by far the biggest hurdle. They are on the right path. Its only just a matter of time. Like anything else, things can spin out of control very quickly in the legislative process, particularly something so complicated as taxes. However, keep in mind, they have done this, both the house and the senate, in a matter of weeks. It is very clear they are on the pathway to sending this to the president s desk likely by the end of the year. Phil mattingly, cnn, capitol hill. And the other big story were following this day, the Ongoing Investigation into russian meddling in the president ial election. Moscow has always dismissed it and Michael Flynns guilty plea on friday hasnt changed that view. According to russian meade ya, one russian politician said flynn was just a scapegoat. Another called the situation a sack of smoke. But flynns legal predicament is serious and could face years in prison. We get the very latest now from cnns jim sciutto. The ongone russia investigation has reached President Trumps inner most circle. Trumps former National Security adviser, Michael Flynn, said he is cooperating with the special counsels probe into possible cooperation between the Trump Campaign and the russian government. Flynn pled guilty to repeatedly lying to the fbi, including making false statements about his 2016 conversations with russias then ambassador to the u. S. Sergey kislyak. According to the statement of offense, flynn lied when he told the fbi he does not discussion sanctions with kislyak on the same day that president obama expelled diplomates from the u. S. And boosted sanctions on moscow in retaliation for russias meddling in the Russian Election. Flynn sought russias help to block a u. N. Security council vote that the obama the administration was abstaining on. The white house said, quote, nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than mr. Flynn. However, Court Documents make clear that flynn was not acting alone. According to prosecutors, flynn communicated with Senior Members of the president s Transition Team about the conversations and in at least one with case was directed by transition officials to reach out to russia. Cnn has learned that the president s soninlaw, Jared Kushner, is the very Senior Member of the president ial team identified in Court Documents. Kushner directed michael flick to contact the Russian Ambassador and others regarding the vote on israeli settlements. This according to settlements pam with the matter. Flynns guilty plea belies the president s claims no one had contact with russia. In your view, has the president lied . Abundantly and frequently and in just about every way. But most significant in denying that this happened, saying its a hoax. After the court proceeding, flynn went immediately to the home of his season, Michael Flynn jr. Michael flynn jr. Was center to Michael Flynn sr. He is not mentioned, not charged in any of these documents and it raises the question whether cooperation for flynn was in exchange partly for protecting his son. Jim sciutto, cnn, washington. Jim, thank you for the reporting, as well. As far as flynns guilty plea, the white house has been largely silent. One source telling cnn the president and his staff are in denial about the seriousness of the investigation. And the source saying they are, quote, totally in a bubble. Jim acosta picks it up from here. On Michael Flynn being indicted, sir . Can you comment on Michael Flynn being indicted . President trump was silent when asked about Michael Flynn being guilty to lying to investigators about the retired generals contacts with Russian AmbassadorSergey Kislyak. But once again, those inside the white house are shielding mr. Trump from the statement. A former Obama Administration official. The statement adds flips false statements mirror the false statements to white house officials which resulted in his resignation in february on of this year. Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implications anyone other than mr. Flynn. We discussed a lot of different situations, swh wonderful and some difficulty. The white house statement ignores the fact that obama warned the incoming president to stay away from flynn in the oval office two days after the election. Nine days before he was sworn into office, mr. Trump refused cnns attempts to ask whether his campaign had contact with the russians before the election. Mr. President elect, can you give us a dont be rude. You are fake news. The next month, the president defended flynns contacts with the russians. Mike was doing his job. He was calling countries and his counterparts. So it certainly would have been okay with me if he did it. I would have directed him to do it if i thought he wasnt doing it. Thats his job. The president went on to suggest there were no contacts during the campaign. Russia is a ruse. I have nothing to do with russia. To the best of my knowledge, no person that i deal with does. Flynn, who repeatedly led chants of lock her up about Hillary Clinton we do not neat a reckless president who believes she is above the law. Lock her up. Thats right. Spoke with ambassador kislyak during the transition, but transition officials never mention that flynn spoke to the ambassador about new administration sanctions against russia. The. Call centered around the logistics of setting up a call with the president of russia and the president elect after he was sworn in and they exchanged logistical information on how to initiate and schedule that call. That was it, plain and simple. Former fbi director james comey said the president encouraged him to drop the case. Drop any situation connecting flynns conversations with the russians. The president tweeted in march, mike flynn should ask for immunity and that this is a witchhunt, excuse for big election loss by media and dems. When Paul Manafort was indicted with along with a guilty plea from George Papadopoulos , the president tweeted the fake news is working overtime. And few people knew the Young Volunteer knew george who has already proven to be a liar. They cant distance themselves from President TrumpS National Security adviser who has acknowledged a crime. And a senior white house official claimed the Obama Administration authorized flynns conversation with kislyak, but a former Obama Administration told cnn that claim from the Trump White House is, quote, laughable. Jim acosta, cnn, the white house. Lets bring in troy sladen, troy, a criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor joining us us from los angeles. Lets talk about this legally. Mr. Flynn has pleaded guilty to lying to the fbi. It is described to have a good deal for him, all things considered, which leads to the question now is there there an expectation that mr. Flynn has a story to tell . Absolutely. Both by the terms of the plea dealist as well as general flynns public statement. And he had a lot of criminal exposure. Each count of highing to the if fbi carries with it a maximum of five years in federal prison. Now, what they did was they combined the four lies into one count, which means though rhetorically he faces maximum of five years in prison. But if he cooperates and if he does everything that he says hes going to do, then the special Councils Office will make a sentencing recommendation when that time comes and its likely that he could do no swral at all. From a prosecutorial perspective, is there a sense that mikan flynn swrjr. , mr. Flynns son, that somehow he was a part of his father deciding to cooperate here . Prosecutors use whatever leverage they have. Certainly its been reported that a general flynns son had potential criminal exposure himself. He was chief of staff for general flynn. So anything that a prosecutor can use, turn the screws and get a target to cooperate, theyre going to do it. And general flynn was a big fish. He was intimately involved in both the campaign and the early days of the Trump Administration. So lets take about how this might play forward. Are these bread and butter prosecutors just focused on lying to the fbi or could they possibly use the logan act . For our viewers around the world, its an obscure law, 218 years old that hasnt been invoked in modern history. Help us understand that law and whether you feel it could come into play here. The logan act hasnt really been tested in modern times. There are many constitutional scholars that feel it may very well be unconstitutional. And it basically stands for the proposition that theres only one administration at a time and that if youre not a representative of the United States government, that youre not entitled to conduct Foreign Policy. So the allegation here is that flynn, in speak background the sanctions, asking them to not taking any action and to delay a u. N. Vote that was coming at the time, that the incoming administration, the Trump Administration was conducting Foreign Policy before they took the helm, before the inauguration. And so that could be a theoretical violation of the logan act, but thats not what is being alleged here. And even that, even if there was to be an allegation that the logan act was violated, that doesnt go to the heart of what the special counsel was constituted for, which is to look at whether or not the Trump Campaign was colluding with russia in order to defeat Hillary Clinton and get donald trump elected. Troy sladen, we appreciate your time today and perspective on this. Well take in touch. Thank you. Thanks for having me. The Trump Administration scored its first major legislative win within 24 hours of the worst news in the russian probe. Peaks and valleys. Well break it down for you as cnn newsroom pushes on. Cedric, i couldnt even bowl with my grandkids cause of the burning, shooting pain in my feet. I hear you, sam. Cedric, i couldnt sleep at night because of my diabetic nerve pain. I hear you, claire, because my dad struggled with this pain. Folks, dont wait. Step on up and talk to your doctor. Because the one thing i keep hearing is. Im glad i stepped on up. Me too, buddy. If you have diabetes and burning, shooting pain in your feet or hands, step on up and talk to your doctor today. We do not need a reckless president who believes she is above the law. Lock her up. Thats right. Yes, theater. Lock her up. That was mr. Flynn, a sounds that wases are national to many people back in july of 2016. That happened the at the republican convention. Then there was this on friday. Listen. The video there, you dont hear it, but the natural sound on that video, you hear someone saying lock him up. From the russia investigation to the republican tax reform in the senate, it has been a day of highs and lows, to say the very least. To talk all about this, lets bring in professor of politics at city on of university of London Energy parmar. Its always a pleasure to have you on the show to make sense of all this. What a day. Lets talk about the optics of this day. On the one hand, a member of the president s inner circle pleaded guilty to lying to the fbi signaling quite frankly that he will cooperate with the special counsel. On the other hand, the president had arguably one of his best moments as tax reform passes through the u. S. Senate, which overshadows the other. Which is bigger in your mind . Well, i would say probably the tax cut to the very, very wealthy and the effective tax rise to the working and middle chas people. Id say thats the bigger, much longer term question, but clearly, the flynn issue is a major sort of immediate source of political crisis intensifying, as well. But i think the tax cut actually is going to have the longer term impact on the shape of society, on the shape of the american state and the role of big corporations and the wealthy. I think that will bleed into the politics and the political agenda in the longer run, as well. Well, will this be a piece of legislation that will span for decades as its been described. Democrats criticize the process, how this came about, they criticize the substance saying it adds to the deficit, that it will raise taxes on individuals in the longterm while corporate taxes will remain constant. Republicans, though, they have a different take on it. They say this is the president living up to his Campaign Promise that he cut taxes here. How will all of this play out in the midterms . Well, i think it all depends, really, on Republican Voters. And it looks like from the polls that 59 to 60 of Republican Voters support this tax bill. A quarter of them say they dont know anything about it. But i think when people start feeling it in their pockets, and that may be a year or two away, possibly a little bit longer, the big issue is and that has been the case through the campaign and through this first year of the administration is to what extent Republican Voters stand solidly behind President Trump. And it seems to me that he appears to be attacking peoples financial position, but on the other hand, he has stored up he has shored up their sense of national identity, of racial identity, of gender identity and so on. So i think hes waged a campaign against what they would call Political Correctness in a variety of ways and i think that cycled the wage of being a strong white man in the white house. I think that is going to be quite significant. And its quite frankly the case that President Trump remains very popular amongst Republican Voters and the Republican Leadership remains deeply unpopula