Bold, Brash, and Unapologetic: A Glimpse into the Republican Tax Bill
Legislation proposed by Trump aims to reverse actions taken by the administrations of Biden and Obama.
Washington D.C. (AP) -Obliterating Obama's Affordable Care Act. Destroying Biden's Inflation Reduction Act's green energy tax breaks.
At its core, the Republican's "big, glorious bill" isn't just an extension of tax cuts approved during Trump's first term. It's a middle finger to the past two Democratic presidents, stripping away their signature domestic policies, piece by piece.
"We're gonna stick to our guns," House Speaker Mike Johnson shouted after passing the bill last month.
The package isn't just about preserving an estimated $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, expiring at year's end if lawmakers don't act - it's also about chopping into Democratic-led programs and causing tons of political drama.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says this new bill would result in 10.9 million fewer people with health insurance, 1.4 million of them undocumented immigrants in the U.S., on state-funded programs. But businesses in states across the nation are screaming for the green energy tax breaks that pull their projects off the ground.
As the bill moves from the House to the Senate, the simmering dissent towards curbing Obama and Biden policies show just how impossible it can be to slash government programs once they're ingrained in everyday life.
"When he asked me, what are the prospects in the Senate? I said it's good - if we don't cut Medicaid," Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) revealed, retelling his chat last week with Trump. "And he said, I'm 100% on board with that."
Healthcare Woes
Not a single Republican voted for Obamacare or the Inflation Reduction Act back in 2010 or 2022. Both were approved using the same reconciliation process now being used by Republicans to bulldoze Trump's bill past opposition.
But even though Republicans rejected the bills at their conception, a coalition of GOP lawmakers is fervently trying to safeguard aspects of both programs as they reach into the lives of millions of Americans.
Hawley, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and others are anxious about the bill's impact on Medicaid and other provisions that might deny healthcare to thousands.
At the same time, bipartisan groupings of House and Senate Republicans are on the offensive, tirelessly seeking to shield the green energy tax breaks that businesses from their states rely on to grow solar, wind, and other energy production.
Sen. Murkowski expressed her worries about the House bill's provision, which states that projects not under construction within 60 days of the bill's enactment may no longer be eligible for tax credits.
"We're sorting this out," she said.
The concerns are cutting different ways, making life difficult for GOP leaders who barely have any votes to spare in the House and Senate, as they try to hoist the package over Democratic resistance and onto the president’s desk by the Fourth of July.
While some Republicans are working to preserve the programs, fiscal conservatives want deeper spending cuts to curb the nation's debt. The CBO states that the bill would increase deficits by $2.4 trillion over ten years.
After a closed-door meeting with Trump at the White House this week, GOP senators said they were working to finalize the bill to fit their priorities.
"He made the pitch, and the argument for why we need to get the bill done," Senate Majority Leader John Thune said.
The Past Repeating Itself
The situation is reminiscent of Trump's first term, when Republicans promised to repeal and replace Obamacare, only to see their attempt crumble in dramatic fashion when the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) voted against the bill on the House floor.
The Battle over Medicaid
In the fifteen years since Obamacare became law, healthcare has improved significantly. Over 80 million people are now enrolled in Medicaid, with 41 states expanding their coverage. The Affordable Care Act expanded Medicaid to all adults with incomes up to about $21,500 for an individual or almost $29,000 for a two-person household.
While Republicans no longer campaign on ending Obamacare, experts warn that the changes in the big bill will trim access to health care.
The bill proposes new 80 hours of monthly work or community service requirements for able-bodied Medicaid recipients, age 18 to 64, with some exceptions. It also adds twice-a-year eligibility verification checks and other modifications.
Republicans claim they merely want to right-size Medicaid to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse, ensuring it's there for those who genuinely need it, usually low-income single mothers, women, the disabled, and the elderly. But critics say the changes amount to an Obamacare rollback by another name.
"It dismantles our healthcare system, dismantles our green energy system," Schumer said in an interview with Associated Press.
The green energy tax breaks involve not only those used by electric vehicle owners, like Elon Musk's Tesla, but also the production and investment tax credits for renewable energy developers.
The House bill initially proposed phasing out these credits over the next several years. But once again, the conservative Freedom Caucus demanded faster action - within 60 days of the bill's passage.
"Not a single Republican voted for the Green New Scam subsidies," wrote Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) on social media. "Not a single Republican should vote to keep them."
"DROP THE GREEN NEW SCAM!" Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), a Freedom Caucus leader, echoed online.
- The Republican tax bill aims to dismantle the signature domestic policies of the past two Democratic presidents, including the Affordable Care Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.
- The bill's impact on health care is a cause of concern for various Republican lawmakers, particularly regarding Medicaid and access to medical conditions treatment.
- Some GOP lawmakers, such as Sen. Lisa Murkowski, are anxious about the bill's provision that projects not under construction within 60 days of the bill's enactment may no longer be eligible for tax credits.
- Bipartisan groups of Republicans are actively seeking to protect green energy tax breaks that businesses from their states rely on for the growth of solar, wind, and other renewable energy production.
- The bill's proposed changes in Medicaid will lead to tougher work requirements, eligibility verification checks, and other modifications, which critics argue will amount to an Obamacare rollback by another name.
- The bill also threatens provisions related to chronic diseases like chronic kidney disease, cancer, respiratory conditions, digestive health, eye health, hearing, and skin conditions.
- Not only does the bill affect green energy tax breaks for the production of renewable energy, but it also targets electric vehicle owners, like Elon Musk's Tesla, with the potential elimination of subsidies.
- The concerns are varying, making life challenging for GOP leaders who are navigating through the bill's provisions while dealing with Democratic resistance.
- Fiscal conservatives are pushing for deeper spending cuts to reduce the nation's debt, with the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office stating that the bill would increase deficits by $2.4 trillion over ten years.
- Republicans are looking to safeguard aspects of both the Affordable Care Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, as they reach into the lives of millions of Americans, despite initially rejecting the bills at their conception.
- In the realm of health and wellness, the bill poses significant implications for those dealing with neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and autoimmune disorders, as well as environmental health and climate change.
- The policy-and-legislation repercussions of the bill will impact various sectors, with politics and general news media outlets closely monitoring its progress.
- Despite challenges, GOP leaders are working to finalize the bill, balancing the interests of different sectors, and aiming to have it passed by the Fourth of July.
