Trump Presses House Republicans to Pass Domestic Policy Bill Amid Backlash

President Trump on Tuesday urged congressional Republicans not to leave Washington at the end of the week for a scheduled recess until they pass a sprawling bill to enact his domestic agenda. The bill, which would extend the 2017 tax cuts, create new tax breaks, and slash some programs, including Medicaid and nutrition assistance, has faced opposition from right-wing holdouts in the House. Despite this, the Senate is pushing forward with its own version of the legislation, which would cut more deeply into Medicaid and crack down harder on strategies that many states have developed to tax medical providers and pay them higher prices for Medicaid services.

Key Takeaways:

• The House has already approved the legislation, but changes made by the Senate will send it back to the House for final passage.
• Some conservatives in the House regard the Senate bill as even worse than the original legislation, citing deeper Medicaid cuts and more stringent measures on green energy projects.
• The Senate bill would preserve tax breaks for companies that build nuclear reactors, geothermal plants, hydropower dams, or battery storage through 2033.
• Representative Chip Roy of Texas and Representative Andy Harris of Maryland, who both voted "present" on the House-passed bill, have refused to vote for the Senate's current version of the domestic policy bill.
• Republicans can afford to lose no more than three votes in either chamber on the legislation if all members are present and voting.
• The legislation must meet a set of budgetary restrictions to avoid adding to the deficit and to be shielded from a filibuster.

Statistics:

• The bill would extend the 2017 tax cuts.
• 2017 tax cuts would be extended.
• 2033: the year by which tax breaks for companies that build nuclear reactors, geothermal plants, hydropower dams, or battery storage would be preserved.
• 3 votes: number of votes Republicans can afford to lose in either chamber.
• 93: number of Senate Republicans that would be needed to pass the bill.

Sources:

• The New York Times, "Trump Presses House Republicans to Pass Domestic Policy Bill Amid Backlash", published June 28, 2023.