Senate moves ahead on GOP budget
WASHINGTON — The Senate is moving ahead on a Republican budget plan, a critical step in President Donald Trump and the party’s politically imperative drive to cut taxes and simplifythe IRS code.
The nonbinding budget plan would permit Republicans to pass follow-up tax cuts later this year that would cost up to $1.5 trillion overthe coming decade. The plan cleared a procedural hurdle in the Senate on a party-line vote of 50-47.
The plan breaks with longstanding promises by top Republicans like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker Paul Ryan that the upcoming tax drive won’t add to the nation’s $20 trillion debt. Once the budget plan passes through the GOPcontrolled Congress, the House and Senate can then advance a follow-up tax overhaul measure without fear of a filibuster by Senate Democrats.
The budget plan calls for $5 trillion in spending cuts over the decade, including cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and the Obama-era health carelaw.
Key GOP moderates such as Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska have signaled support. And John McCain, RAriz., said Tuesday that he supports the budget as a path to accomplishing tax reform
GOP leaders are confident the budget will pass by Friday.
Politicizing the fallen
Mr. Trump has pulled bereaved military families into a political fight, going so far Tuesday as to cite the death of the son of his chief of staff, John Kelly, in Afghanistan to question whether Barack Obama and other presidents did enough tohonor the military dead.
He’s boasted that “I think I’ve called every family of someone who’s died,” though that appeared to be untrue.
The White House said Mr. Trump did telephone on Tuesday the families of four soldiers who were killed in Niger nearly two weeks ago, the issue that had spawned the controversy this week.
Trump warns McCain
Mr. Trump on Tuesday warned Mr. McCain that “I fight back and it won’t be pretty” after the lawmaker questioned “half-baked, spurious nationalism” in America’s foreign policy.