GOP senators continue in the Trump tax reductions package, delay major decisions

By Lisa Mascaro and Kevin Freking, Associated Press

Washington (AP) – Republican senators meet on Wednesday morning with President Donald Trump in the White House while they are advancing on his major tax bill and spending reductions while delaying some of the most difficult decisions, including costs and how to pay for the package of several dollars.

The GOP Senate’s budgetary framework would be the companion of the Package of Tax reductions of the Republicans of the Chamber of Republicans which also requires a reduction of 2 billions of dollars in health care and other programs. If the Senate can move the plan forward, it would put Trump’s allies closer to Capitol Hill of a compromise by preparing the way for a final product in the coming weeks.

“Obviously, we hope that this week, we will be able to obtain a budgetary resolution on the ground that will unlock the process,” said the head of the majority of the Senate, John Thune, Rs.d. “And we therefore continue to move forward with it.”

Thune and the Republicans of the Senate Budget Committee meet with Trump before the public release expected from their budgetary plan by the chairman of the committee, Senator Lindsey Graham de Caroline du Sud, in the afternoon.

Although large differences remain, the Republicans face increasing political pressure to achieve what should be Trump’s signature interior policy package: extend the tax reductions, which were initially approved in 2017, during its first mandate in the White House. These tax alternatives expire at the end of the year, and Trump wants to extend them to include new taxes without taxes on wages, overtime wages and other gains, as he promised during the 2024 campaign.

Democrats are preparing to oppose the GOP tax plans as gifts to the wealthy, coming while the Ministry of Elon Musk’s government’s government efficiency brings a “chain saw” to the federal government. They warn that the Republicans plan to reduce government programs and services that millions of Americans depend on the nation.

“We are going together against the GOP tax scam and to defend the American people,” the Democratic chief of the Hakeem Chamber Jeffries said on Tuesday evening on the Capitole steps.

A main collision point between the plans of the GOP chamber and the Senate was whether the existing tax reductions, which should cost 4.5 billions of dollars to the federal government during the decade of lost income, must be paid by discounts of expenditure elsewhere. The addition of Trump’s new tax relief to the package would bloat the price.

To compensate for the costs, the Républicains de la Chambre require some 2 billions of dollars in health care and other accounts to stem federal deficits and prevent the debt of 36 billions of dollars from the country from skyrocketing.

But GOP senators have a different approach. They believe that, because tax reductions are already current policy, they would not be new and would not need to be paid. They want to use this basic base of current policy in the future, which means that only other tax reductions offered by Trump would be with a new cost. They expect them to make much lower expenses as a floor that can be increased, if necessary, to compromise with the 2 dollars of the house.

The leader of the Senate minority, Chuck Schumer of New York and the best Democrats, best call the approach of the GOP at best, if not a “lie”.

“It is obscene fraud and the American people will not support it,” said Schumer, Senator Jeff Merkley of the Budget Committee and Senator Ron Wyden of the Finance Committee in a letter to the management of the GOP.

The New Jersey Democratic Senator Cory Booker pleaded against the basic line of the GOP as a “gadget” which would reduce important federal services while increasing deficits.

“What they invest is greater tax reductions for the richest,” said Booker during a historic speech overnight.

The Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the leaders of the Congress GOP gathered in private while Trump’s priority package turns to Capitol Hill. During a meeting with other Republicans from the Senate on Monday evening at the Capitol, Bessent urged them to do so.

As a rule, the basic proposal for current policy should adopt the gathering of the non -partisan parliamentarian of the Senate to ensure that he respects the strict rules of the budgetary process. The senators of the two parties argue of sessions behind closed doors with parliamentary staff – for and against the idea.

But the leaders of the GOP say that they do not necessarily need the Senate parliamentarian, at this stage, to resolve the question, and they believe that Graham, as president of the Senate budget committee, has the power to authorize their current political reference approach.

What is more certain is that they want to move quickly this week to pass the frame. This will lead to a long vote all night that could lead to the weekend. Then, they will settle the details later while the Republicans, faced with the democratic opposition, will strengthen the real consideration package in the weeks, even months, to come.

Originally published: April 2, 2025 at 7:30 am Pdt