Republican lawmakers are deliberating the future of the 2017 tax cuts, with a key Senate decision pending that could allow these cuts to become permanent through the reconciliation process. The debate focuses on whether to use a "current policy" baseline to calculate the cost, potentially setting it at $0 and bypassing traditional budget negotiations, a move criticized for undermining Congress' budgetary authority. Democrats have limited involvement in these discussions, and the Congressional Budget Office estimates the extension would cost $4.6 trillion over the next decade, as Republicans aim to secure a budget resolution before the Easter recess to advance Trump's fiscal agenda.
