Republicans approve budget framework to make Trump tax cuts permanent

• House Republicans passed a budget blueprint that will allow them to rework government spending to pay for the president’s agenda and make his 2017 tax cuts permanent. A deal was made with fiscal hawks to cut $1.5 trillion in spending over 10 years to gain their support.
• The legislation now heads to committee to work out the exact details before it comes back for a final vote.
• Many Republicans say they won’t support the final bill if it doesn’t adequately cut spending or if it reduces Medicaid benefits. Democrats oppose the bill but aren’t needed to approve it using a simple majority.

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House Republicans approved a budget framework allowing Congress to rework both existing and future government spending. The measure, which has already been approved in the Senate, will now head to committee where Republicans will attempt to cut spending, pay for President Trump’s agenda and make his 2017 tax cuts permanent.

“To restore energy dominance, to grow our economy and to make a generational investment in our border security and also make sure that we are ready militarily to deal with any threats the country faces around the world,” Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said when explaining their goals.

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There were a couple dozen Republicans who were prepared to vote against the package because they did not think it was fiscally responsible. They changed their minds when Sen. Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced a commitment to find at least $1.5 trillion in savings over the next 10 years. 

If that doesn’t happen, the representatives said they will stop the package from becoming law when it comes up for the final vote. 

“I promise you really we’ll have, it’s not just just me, you’ll have 30 people that won’t vote for it,” Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., said. 

“There’s things we can do, quite frankly, to grind this place to a halt if anybody tries to screw us,” Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., said.  

The most extraordinary of all promises is passing a bill that doesn’t add to the $36 trillion national debt. 

“Most importantly for me, a commitment from the leadership of the House that we will not put a bill on the floor of our chamber that adds to the national debt, which is a deferred tax on our children,” Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, said. 

Democrats released a Congressional Budget Office report Thursday, April 10, that showed making the Trump tax cuts permanent could add $52 trillion to the national debt over the next 30 years. 

The party is unified in its opposition against the Republicans’ proposed budget. 

“It’s about demolishing the way of life for people who receive and are helped by Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and so, yes, this is absolutely paving the road,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, D-N.Y., said. “Because if you notice, they sure as hell aren’t going after waste in the Pentagon. They sure as hell aren’t going after waste where we know the Pentagon has not passed a single audit.” 

“We’re going to spend $100 trillion in the next 10 years. The idea that we can’t cut 1.5 trillion out of that 100 trillion without pushing grandma off the cliff, is a degree of misinformation aligned to the American people coming on the other side of the aisle that I think is really irresponsible,” Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., said.

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Republicans say they want to cut waste, fraud and abuse, and add work requirements to certain government benefits like Medicaid. If they try to cut benefits, members say they’ll sink the package. 

“Many of us are have said we’re not going to support something that lowers the reimbursement rate for states like mine, New York, and we’re not going to support any people being removed from traditional Medicaid, it’s as simple as that,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y.