NPR’s Michel Martin is delivered to the Senate with a Republican strategist Alex Conant and Trump’s domestic agenda with a single vote.
Michel Martin, host:
President Trump’s tax and expenditure bills pass the House of Representatives in just one vote and head to the Senate. The bill is estimated to add $ 3.3 to the national debt. How the Senate’s charges will provide insight into the epidemiology of the Republican Party. For more information, I joined the founding partner of the Republican Strategist and Firehouse Strategies Alex Conant. Alex, good morning. Thank you for being with us on this memorial day.
Alex Conant: Yes, Hello. Happy Memorial Day.
Martin: The same is true. Thus, many of the Senate leader John Thune can lose three Republican votes. Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said, “I can’t accept it completely.” And he says he has enough colleagues to get more spending. If so, is the bill in danger?
Conant: I will not say that the bill is in danger in any way. The Senate is going to pass this bill, and I don’t think other people should get another fantasy. But there will be a change. And I think I’ll look at the deficit number. We will look at the Medicaid Cut. We’ll look at some of the cut -cut clean energy tax deductions. We will look at how the pass -like is handled.
The Senate will turn the turn. They will put it through the committee. They will change it. But they will pass it and the house will pass through it. And it will go to the president’s desk, and you can do so before the end of July 4 of Johnson or speaker Thune or the end of July 4.
Martin: There is a similar mechanics at home. Some members said the bill expressed concern about the deficit. Others expressed concern about the CBO’s reduction of Medicaid, and presumed that this would cause millions to fall from the roll. But at the end of the day, the opposition found a way to support the bill. I think you think the same epidemiology will be applied in the Senate.
Conant: Republicans must pass this bill for several reasons. First of all, they will not allow tax reductions passed in 2017. All will expire at the end of this year. They will not do that. They also tied this vote to increase the work to be done until August. This is Trump’s only real legislative priority. As you know, President Trump is more important to the Republican’s major voters, so the Senators and members of the House of Representatives do not ignore the president without ignoring the president.
So they will pass the bill. I gave my speaker Johnson a lot of credit for negotiations managed in the house with a hood that was interested in things like increasing the salt limit. But he explored it, delivered it until the deadline, and sent a bill to Senator Thune, who had many driving force. And in the party, President Trump’s political position could not be higher at this moment.
Martin: But let’s talk about two problems. First of all, the bill will add to the deficit. Responsible Federal Budget Committee, this is this non -profit non -party group that teaches the public about the impact of financial policy. The bill is estimated to add $ 3.3 to the national debt. This was a long traditional concern of conservatives and Republicans. Isn’t it important anymore?
Conant: I think all Republicans are concerned about the deficit. And I have reported that we are expected to have a deficit of 7%. 7%of GDP will be a deficit expenditure over the next few years. It is impossible, and I think the Republicans are worried about it. But they must pass. You need to increase your debt limit. They must extend tax reductions for political and economic reasons. They voted for the budget to increase the deficit earlier this year. And the tax reduction and the Senate, which they passed last week, will now be in line with the budget.
So they basically say they will do it. I think you will hear a lot of complaints about the deficit. I will hear the need to do something about it. The Senate can examine some of the tax reduction and some expenses of the bill. But at the end of the day, the Senate will pass this bill and send it to the president. They will make a change, and some of them can reflect concerns about the deficit, but I think that’s not enough to prevent the bill.
Martin: And we have only 20 seconds left. But the reduction of Medicaid, the reality, will fall out of the roll according to this bill if the bill is passed as conceived. Democrats say they will not give peace to the Republican Party. Is it a simple problem as much as you can do it?
Conant: Yes, I think they will use it for them. But some of the cuts do not occur for a while, and we can see who is in charge.
Martin: Alex Connector. He is a republican political strategist. Alex, thank you very much.
Conant: Thank you.
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