Can The GOP Pas It's "Big Beautiful" Budget Bill?

The Republicans are still in the process of hammering out their budget bill for next year. And if what we hear about it is true, they are going to have to pass it without any Democratic Party votes. That's because it will be making huge cuts for the poor and working classes while giving big tax breaks for the rich. 

But problems are developing among Republicans as they get closer to actually writing the bill. Some Republicans are already drawing a "red line" that would keep them from voting for the bill. And the Republicans cannot pass the bill if they lose too many votes from their own party. Their margins in both houses are just too small.

Can they write a bill that will keep the resisters happy? Will Trump be able to force the resisters in line and get their votes? Right now, no one knows. But it is causing some growing doubt on whether they will be able to pass the bill.

Here, from The Washington Post, are some of the "red lines" being drawn by some of the Republicans:

Medicaid

House Republicans have asked the Energy and Commerce Committee to find at least $880 billion in cuts as part of the bill, which the Congressional Budget Office said will be impossible without cutting Medicaid, Medicare or the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Trump has pledged not to cut Medicare or Medicaid.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) voted against a budget framework last month because of concerns that it would clear the way for Medicaid cuts. Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) have said they are open to adding work requirements to Medicaid but will not vote to cut Medicaid benefits.

A dozen House Republicans warned Johnson in a letter last month that they “cannot and will not support a final reconciliation bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations.”

The state and local tax deduction cap

To help pay for their 2017 tax bill, Republicans limited how much Americans could deduct in state and local taxes on their federal returns. Now five House Republicans who represent suburban districts in high-tax states — Reps. Nick LaLota (New York), Andrew R. Garbarino (New York), Michael Lawler (New York), Young Kim (California) and Tom Kean Jr. (New Jersey) — say they won’t vote for legislation to extend the 2017 tax cuts unless the $10,000 cap is lifted.

Taxes and fees

The House Transportation Committee has proposed a new $250 electric vehicle registration fee and a $100 registration fee for hybrid vehicles to help pay for the bill. That’s a dealbreaker for Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida), who said he won’t vote for legislation that includes any fee increases.

A return to 2019 spending levels

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) said last week he would not vote for the bill unless it reduces spending to 2019 levels — which he acknowledged was unlikely to happen. “There’s a growing group of us that are insisting on returning to a pre-pandemic level of spending, which is much lower than what anybody is working on in either the House or the Senate,” Johnson said.

The debt limit

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) voted against the framework underlying the bill because he objected to Republicans’ plan to use the bill to raise the debt limit by $5 trillion.

Asked last week whether including such an increase in the bill would lead him to oppose it, Paul said, “I’m not for raising the debt ceiling $5 trillion, so I’m not for it.”

The deficit

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky), who also voted against the budget framework last month, said he has a different red line: He can’t vote for a bill that increases the deficit.