Congress is weighing competing priorities as Republicans prepare to assume unified control of Washington in January. Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) wants a quick win on energy and the border, announcing a plan on Tuesday that would pair the legislation with a larger defense bill.
But the proposal has been met with a cool reception in the House. Thune plans to punt a deal on tax reform until later in the year, prompting concern from members of the Ways and Means Committee who fear their bill will get sidelined.
The timing matters because Republicans could only have two opportunities to pass their agenda without Democratic support. Each year, they can use a tool called reconciliation to circumvent the filibuster and approve their spending priorities with 51 Senate votes.
In theory, Republicans could tackle taxes in October, once the new fiscal year begins, but House tax writers believe the strategy is an unnecessary risk. The tax cuts Trump signed in 2017 expire at the end of 2025.
Instead, those lawmakers, led by Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO), the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, want to see border security and energy reform rolled into a single, larger tax package.
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