J D Vance cast the 51st vote this morning, as the administration’s big beautiful reconciliation bill eked through the Senate. Three Republican senators–Thom Tillis, Susan Collins and Rand Paul–joined all Democrats in voting against the bill.
I don’t think they would have done so, if their votes had been needed for passage. The bill absolutely has to pass, since if it doesn’t, the biggest tax increase in American history will take place on January 1. That would devastate the economy, destroy the Trump administration, and probably cede control in D.C. to Democrats for years to come.
Other than extending the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that was a signal accomplishment of Trump’s first term, the bill is a hodgepodge of provisions, mostly good, some not good. The Democrats responded to today’s Senate vote with their usual self-restraint:
“Today, Senate Republicans betrayed the American people and covered the Senate in utter shame,” Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said at a press conference after the vote.
“This vote will haunt Republicans for years to come.”
Right. Frankly, it is hard to see why Democrats are so exercised. The White House’s Myth vs. Fact page says that “[t]his legislation does not make a single cut to welfare programs,” and unfortunately, that is true.
The bill now goes to the House, where a similar dynamic will be in play, since the GOP’s advantage is so narrow. But in the end, I think it has to pass.
