{"id":7713,"date":"2025-03-27T12:03:46","date_gmt":"2025-03-27T12:03:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/3-big-moves-for-trumps-agenda\/"},"modified":"2025-03-27T12:03:46","modified_gmt":"2025-03-27T12:03:46","slug":"3-big-moves-for-trumps-agenda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/3-big-moves-for-trumps-agenda\/","title":{"rendered":"3 big moves for Trump\u2019s agenda"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Three big developments are poised to give Republican lawmakers long-sought clarity on how they can get moving on President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda \u2014 and when they need to finish.<\/p>\n

Time to punt<\/b>: As they rush to settle on a budget framework before Easter recess, Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune are signaling that they\u2019ll move forward without resolving some major disputes<\/u><\/a> over how to pay for Trump\u2019s tax, border and energy policies \u2014 including controversial Medicaid cuts.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ll do that by approving a budget resolution that defers to each chamber\u2019s respective committees for how much money they will need to trim from programs under their jurisdictions, and then try to merge the approaches later.<\/p>\n

Tax clarity<\/b>: The Senate parliamentarian is expected to decide in the coming days<\/u><\/a> whether Republicans can use an accounting approach known as \u201ccurrent policy baseline\u201d that would allow them to extend Trump\u2019s 2017 tax cuts in a costless fashion.<\/p>\n

Thune said in an interview that Republicans need to know if the parliamentarian will green-light their strategy before taking their budget resolution to the floor, which they want to do as soon as next week.<\/p>\n

Separately on Wednesday, House GOP tax writers met in private<\/a> with Joint Committee on Taxation chief Thomas Barthold to discuss next steps on their tax package. The non-partisan JCT will have to weigh in on the cost of extending tax cuts and Trump\u2019s other tax pledges, including eliminating taxes on tips and overtime work.<\/p>\n

X marks the deadline<\/b>: CBO announced Wednesday that the U.S. will default on its debt around August or September<\/u><\/a> if Congress doesn\u2019t act \u2014 in effect setting a new deadline for Republicans to pass Trump\u2019s mega-bill if they stick with a plan to include a debt ceiling increase.<\/p>\n

House Republicans are hoping the updated \u201cX-date\u201d lights a fire under the Senate GOP<\/u><\/a> to speed things up.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all know Congress needs a deadline to get anything done,\u201d said a senior House GOP aide granted anonymity to speak freely. \u201cThis is the new deadline.\u201d<\/p>\n

What else we\u2019re watching<\/b>:<\/p>\n