Republicans, with President-elect Donald Trump set to take office, are preparing an ambitious 100-day agenda to push through a range of policy changes. Their priorities include extending the GOP tax cuts worth around $4 trillion, a key achievement from Trump’s first term, and making them permanent. This agenda also includes reducing government subsidies for health insurance, limiting food stamp programs, rolling back Biden-era green energy initiatives, and pursuing stricter immigration policies, including mass deportations and cuts to government jobs.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise emphasized that Republicans are preparing to hit the ground running on Day 1 of Trump’s presidency. The proposed policies, which revive contentious debates on tax reform, income inequality, and the role of government, will be a test of the GOP’s ability to deliver on its campaign promises, particularly as the national deficit approaches $2 trillion annually.
The most prominent part of the agenda is the plan to extend tax cuts that are set to expire by 2025, including maintaining current tax brackets, deductions, and rates for pass-through businesses. Trump also wants to lower the corporate tax rate from 21% to 15% and eliminate taxes on tips and overtime pay. However, these tax cuts would add an estimated $4 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade, a point of contention for some critics. Supporters argue that the tax cuts will stimulate economic growth and that extending them should not be seen as a new tax policy.
Additionally, Republicans are eyeing reductions in spending on food stamps and health care, particularly the COVID-19-era health insurance subsidies. These subsidies, which were extended by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, are a target for GOP lawmakers who want to curtail government assistance programs. They also aim to undo green energy initiatives supported by the Biden administration.
While Republicans argue that these tax cuts will pay for themselves through increased economic activity, critics, including House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, dispute the idea of a “mandate” for extreme policy changes. Democrats are likely to push back on many of these proposals, with Republicans planning to use the budget reconciliation process to pass their agenda along party lines, avoiding filibusters in the Senate.
Despite potential obstacles, Republicans, led by House Speaker Mike Johnson, are committed to a rapid pace in the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency, aiming to address what they see as pressing issues facing the country.
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