Sure, Donald Trump is about to be inaugurated for a second time, however we will take solace in the truth that his agenda is already on the rocks. Republican leaders within the Home and Senate nonetheless can’t agree on find out how to transfer ahead with laws to make good on Trump’s guarantees.
Greater than two months after Republicans received each chambers of Congress, Home Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Chief John Thune are persevering with to combat over whether or not to place Trump’s damaging tax cuts for the wealthy and mass deportation agenda in the identical invoice, or to separate it into two.
“Right now, that teamwork isn’t happening. Not by a long shot,” Politico mentioned of Johnson and Thune’s relationship.
If Republicans cannot even agree on find out how to transfer ahead, neglect about how troublesome will probably be to pick the price range cuts Republicans might want to make to cross the laws.
That is as a result of Republicans wish to accomplish Trump’s agenda utilizing price range reconciliation, which is able to enable them to bypass the Senate filibuster and cross the invoice(s) with a easy majority—i.e., simply Republican votes. However price range reconciliation has strict limits round how a lot laws can have an effect on the nationwide debt. And it’ll require Republicans to make cuts from different packages to fund the tax cuts and deportations.
And getting Republicans to agree on what to chop from the price range can be tougher than herding feral cats. They will not have the ability to lose a single vote within the Home, given Republicans’ extraordinarily slender majority.
Among the many cuts Republicans are floating embrace slashing subsidies middle-class People to buy Inexpensive Care Act plans, chopping meals help for the poorest People, and making cuts to Medicaid. Good luck getting each single Home Republican—together with weak members in swing seats—to vote for cuts like that.
Even worse for Johnson is his political capital is already waning in his caucus, which is able to make it tougher for him to twist arms and get his lawmakers to vote for no matter terrible laws in the end emerges. That’s as a result of Johnson pissed off many Republican lawmakers when he cowed to Trump and eliminated pro-Ukraine Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio as chair of the Home Intelligence Committee.
One unnamed Home Republican informed Fox Information’ Chad Pergram that Turner might not vote for issues Johnson desires to cross on account of his ouster.
“Mike’s never going to vote for another fucking thing around here again,” the unnamed Home Republican mentioned. “He’s mad.”
What’s extra, as GOP management quarrels about whether or not to place Trump’s agenda into one invoice or two, Republicans are combating over find out how to make the damaging laws income impartial.
Senate Republicans are rejecting a income producing proposal from Home conservatives to lift the company tax price, The Hill reported.
“Absolutely not,” Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma informed The Hill, relating to that concept.
In the meantime, Democrats are watching with amusement as Republicans flail.
“With their narrow Republican margin, they can’t pass anything close to what is being discussed by the speaker or by House Republicans,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries mentioned in a Jan. 14 interview on MSNBC.
