The Senate's Tax and Health Care Shake-Up

The Senate Republicans are making significant changes to a major bill that could greatly impact the country's future. This bill is a key part of President Trump's plans for his second term. The Senate Finance Committee recently released the details of this bill, which includes adjustments to Medicaid and tax credits for clean energy. The goal is to prevent a massive tax increase and make the 2017 tax cuts permanent. This would allow families and businesses to plan for the future with more certainty. However, Democrats are not happy with these changes. They argue that the bill mainly benefits wealthy corporations, who would get hundreds of billions of dollars in additional tax breaks. But since Republicans are using a special budget tool called reconciliation, they can pass the bill without Democratic support. This means the Democrats' criticism might not make much difference. The Senate's plan was released just before a nonpartisan office, the Congressional Budget Office, released a new estimate for a similar bill that passed the House in May. This estimate shows that the House bill would add about $2. 8 trillion to the national debt over a decade. This is more than what was originally projected. This new information, along with the Senate's changes, could make it harder for the House to pass the bill. Both the Senate and the House have narrow majorities, which means they can't afford to lose many votes. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has a tough job ahead, as he needs to pass the bill by July 4. If the Senate passes it, it will go back to the House for a final vote. Rep. Jason Smith, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, is hopeful that they can work out the differences between the two versions of the bill. One of the main points of contention is the state and local tax deductions, known as SALT. The 2017 tax cuts capped these deductions at $10, 000, but the House negotiated a plan to lift the cap to $40, 000 for married couples with incomes up to $500, 000. The Senate, however, maintains the current $10, 000 cap. This is just a placeholder figure, but it's a sticking point for some House members. New York Rep. Mike Lawler has said he will not accept a lower cap and will vote against the bill if the Senate reduces the SALT deduction. The Senate version of the bill also includes a $5 trillion increase in the debt limit, up from the House's $4 trillion figure. This is a contentious issue, as some Republicans, like Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, oppose it. Congress needs to act by late summer to adjust the debt limit and avoid defaulting on the nation's debt. The Senate bill also makes various changes to taxes, including permanently extending the 2017 tax cuts and including deductions for tips and overtime pay. It also creates school choice tax credits and establishes savings accounts for newborns. However, neither version of the bill benefits low-income families who don't have a tax liability. The bill also includes significant rollbacks to clean energy credits, with more flexibility than the House version. It phases out incentives for wind and solar at a slower pace, allowing more projects to access the credits. The House bill includes a provision requiring projects to start construction within 60 days of the bill's enactment, which concerned some Senate Republicans. The Senate language gives projects more time to start construction. The Senate bill also includes work requirements for Medicaid, which is a joint federal-state health care program for Americans with disabilities, the elderly, and low-income people. The proposal would require nonpregnant, nondisabled, childless adults, aged 19-64, to complete a minimum of 80 hours of work, community service, or other qualifying activities to qualify for Medicaid. There would be several exemptions, including for veterans with a disability rated as total, individuals who are medically frail, and young people in foster care through the age of 26. Some Republican senators are also raising concerns about a provision that would incrementally lower provider tax in states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Critics of the provider tax say it's a loophole that drives expenditures, while supporters say it's a critical form of funding for hospitals, particularly rural hospitals. Florida Sen. Rick Scott is optimistic that they can come together and get some fiscal sanity, while Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley is concerned about the changes to provider tax and how it would hurt rural hospitals in his state.