Congress

Republicans’ Proposed Budget Gimmicks Aren’t Convincing Their Own

“It is an intellectual fraud,” one House Republican says of the proposal to adjust the budget baseline to erase the deficit impacts of extending tax cuts.

Jason Smith

Ways and Means Chair Rep. Jason Smith has championed adjusting the baseline. Tom Williams/AP

By Violet Jira

February 7, 2025 08:04 AM

Ways and Means lawmakers are turning over every stone to find a way to square the cost associated with their slated extension of Donald Trump’s tax cuts.

The options under consideration are revealing divisions within the Republican Party.

Some House Republicans have floated changing the baseline that the Congressional Budget Office uses to score the economic impact of tax legislation. Using a current policy baseline instead of a current law baseline would offer instant relief on paper.