Posted on 05/23/2025 6:16:00 AM PDT by RandFan
The 1,116-page bill the House passed early Thursday morning to enact President Trump’s ambitious legislative agenda faces a swarm of objections from Senate Republicans.
GOP senators are calling for a rewrite of the bill to address concerns ranging from Medicaid reforms and the phase-out of clean energy incentives to the sale of government owned spectrum bands and the bill’s projected impact on the federal debt.
The deal that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) struck with Republicans from blue states to raise the cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions from $10,000 to $40,000 is also a sticking point with Republican senators.
The biggest obstacle may be the threatened opposition from Senate conservatives who say the bill doesn’t do nearly enough to cut future deficits, which are projected to exceed $2 trillion annually for the next two years.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R) immediately announced his opposition to the House-passed bill Thursday, vowing to vote against it unless Senate Republican leaders remove a provision to raise the federal debt limit by $4 trillion over the next two years.
“We’ve never, ever voted to raise the debt ceiling this much. It’ll be a historic increase. I think it’s not good for conservatives to be on the record supporting a $4 trillion or $5 trillion increase in the debt ceiling,” he said.
“The anticipated deficits per year now will be $2 trillion a year for the next two years,” he added. “It’s not conservative, I can’t support it.”
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), an outspoken fiscal hawk, said Thursday that there are four Senate Republican conservatives who will vote against the House bill as currently drafted, which would be enough to sink the bill if there is full attendance.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
The tax cuts should be allowed to expire.
The tax cuts should only be renewed along with matching spending cuts from FY 2024 levels.
The Congress could revise effective 2025 taxation as late as January 2026.
Medicaid reform must be dealt with with state and local tax reform simultaneously. I recommend monthly premiums for at least adults starting at say $2/month going up by $2/month and $2/ER use with the month-based amount capped at the Medicare premium amount.
Tax cuts need to be increased.
It’s a deeply flawed bill and it deserves to die.
Unless taxes are increased (or higher withholding kicks in), there will not be enough political support for needed spending cuts.
The Laffer sweet point is where tax revenue gets maximized.
I suspect it is around 40% since that is the tax rate levied on high income folks.
I'd prefer a focus on spending cuts, that's the problem.
I agree. They need make that separate legislation and make it a priority. The yoyo tax rates are a PIA to plan around.
The DOGE cuts should be enshrined in legislation as a separate matter. Don’t hook up tax with spending cuts or it will never get done. Maybe that is the plan??
Meanwhile while The Hill (of crap) is eager to point out the debt problem, I note we had a 250B surplus last month in the Treasury Current account. Hum...
Agree, temporary gains need to be permanent.
RINO’s are worse than Democrats!!
Simple
Anytime House and Senate disagree on spending, always go with the smaller amount to spend.
Which Senators want to change the House Medicaid “reforms”?
What changes to the House Medicaid “reforms” do those Senators want to make?
Please state what you dislike and why.
Don’t believe those numbers. It’s typical CBO scoring BS.
SHOW US THE NUMBERS OF DEFICIT INCREASE UNDER 4 YEARS OF BIDEN
IIRC: 93 % of tax revenues come from 10% of the taxpayers-—THE “WEALTHY” 10%.
The other 7% comes from 90% of the taxpayers.
IMO?-—A POPULATION OF 1000 ILLEGAL INVADERS IS TOO MANY.
THAT WORKS AGAINST THEIR ARGUMENTS
There’s something about the senate that turns conservatives into pussies.
I have a question about the term “RINO”.
If a politician is a deficit hawk who believes in smaller government, fiscal responsibility, and more individual freedom.... yet votes against an overloaded bill that continues plunging us deeper into debt.... then they’re a RINO?
I would postulate that the real RINOs are the legion of lobbyist-owned Republican toadies (the vast majority of them) who put this bloated mess together.
“The Congress needs to start codifying the DOGE cuts.
Why aren’t they doing that?”
____________________________________________________________
Because, so far, DOGE has produced only claims and press releases. You can’t build real legislation around that kind of chimera.
When and if DOGE ever presents a real report supported by verifiable evidence, there will be a foundation for Congressional action.
“SHOW US THE NUMBERS OF DEFICIT INCREASE UNDER 4 YEARS OF BIDEN”
____________________________________________________________
“President Trump approved $8.4 trillion of new ten-year borrowing during his full term in office, or $4.8 trillion excluding the CARES Act and other COVID relief.
President Biden, in his first three years and five months in office, approved $4.3 trillion of new ten-year borrowing, or $2.2 trillion excluding the American Rescue Plan.
President Trump approved $8.8 trillion of gross new borrowing and $443 billion of deficit reduction during his full presidential term.
President Biden has so far approved $6.2 trillion of gross new borrowing and $1.9 trillion of deficit reduction.”
— Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, April 5, 2025.
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