Happy Friday, news readers! President Donald Trump’s rates (and market reaction) They are the history of the week, but a key step towards more of its internal policy agenda is underway at this time in the Senate, and our Congress team breaks down how some divisions is highlighting in the narrow majorities of the Republican Party. And before “Meet The Press” this weekend, Kristen Welker passes through the three key questions that Trump and his administration face tariffs. In addition, we answer a reader’s question about Elon Musk’s role in the government.
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The concerns of the Republican Party about the Tax Cutting Strategy and Medicaid Traffic on the Senate Budget
By Julie Tsirkin, Syedah Asghar, Sahil Kapur and Frank Thorp V V
As President Donald Trump’s tariffs take the holders, the Senate Republicans are moving through the procedure steps to establish Trump’s tax plans and other main priorities of national expenses. But it will not be easy to agree exactly what to do.
The Republicans of the Senate achieved Thursday to advance their mass budget plan to discuss, but not before an unexpected delay caused by some of theirs who have concerns about their strategy about tax cuts and possible cuts to Medicaid.
Before the debate start to measure on Friday, the delay occurred when the Republicans met with the leader of the majority of the Senate John Thune, RS.D., to talk about their concerns.
Some more centrist senators are concerned about a budget change that the party is using to slapped a price of zero dollars to extend Trump’s tax cuts, which the official scorer in Congress costs $ 4.6 billion for a decade.
Republicans are delaying a calculation on the subject after ignoring the Senate parliamentarian on the issue of whether they can use a “current policy” baseline to discuss the extension of Trump’s tax cuts in 2017, which will expire this year, such as what it costs nothing. But that means that the measure could be questioned later, and could promote the bill if the parliamentarian governs against him, unless the Senate votes to cancel it, what some have compared with annulling the 60 -vot Filibuster rule.
A handful of Republicans are concerned that they will be asked to do so later in the process.
Another senator, Josh Hawley, Republican of Mo., said he has “a great concern” for the bill that cuts Medicaid, and took his concerns directly to Trump in a phone call on Thursday night before the vote.
The twenty-one years “of my state receives Medicaid-Chip or Medicaid. Then, I have made it clear that I am not going to vote for the cot cuts. And I thought that the president’s guarantee for me was completely unequivocal,” Hawley added, saying that the guarantee made him comfortable to vote to begin the process.
That is easier to say it. The budget approved by the house, which Trump supported, makes it mathematically impossible for Republicans to reach their goals without cutting Medicare or Medicaid. Legislators say they want to reduce waste and fraud, along with the imposition of a possible work requirement for Medicaid. Beyond that, they have not identified ways to reduce spending.
Three questions about Trump’s rates
By Kristen Welker
President Donald Trump’s new rates have shaken the markets and raised new concerns about possible price increases. While Trump campaigned in the implementation of rates, there are more questions when entering into force.
First, how will the Trump administration explain the rates to the American public?
“People do not understand what the plan is, what is the strategy,” former representative Carlos Curbelo, Republican of F-Fla, said Thursday.
Another key question: How will economic consequences be seen?
Trump warned that his commercial policies would cause a “small disturbance” in his speech against Congress last month. And we are already seeing markets shaken by the new tariffs, asking questions about the possibility of a national recession, or even global.
Some Republicans have indicated that the administration may need to rethink their policies if they result in an economic recession.
“If things improve, they should want more; if it worsens things, they should want to emphasize,” Senator John Kennedy, republican of the la-la, said Wednesday.
And finally: When are Americans to reap the benefits of this commercial policy?
Trump told me in December that “he cannot guarantee” American families will not pay anymore, and then added that the tariffs “will make us rich.”
The president also said on Air Force One last night that he could have been “a year and a half to two years” to increase American manufacturing. But the Administration has not yet exposed exactly when Americans every day will begin to benefit from these rates.
We deepen these questions and more about “Meet The Press” this Sunday with Treasury Secretary, Scott Besent, Senator Jim Lankford, R-Okla., And Senator Adam Schiff, D-Calif.
I also talked to our friends at the NBCU Academy about how I prepare for an “Meet The Press” interview. Watch the video here!
🗞️ The other main stories today
- ⏰ Tiktok (still) on the clock: Trump said he will extend the deadline for Tiktok owner to look for a non -Chinese buyer for 75 days, avoiding what could have been another interruption of the application. Read more →
- ⚖️ In court: A panel of three judges of the Court of Appeals of North Carolina ruled that more than 65,000 votes cast in the race played for the State Supreme Court in 2024 must be counted and verified, a victory for the Republican candidate in the thin competition of Razor that could tip the results in their favor. Read more →
- ➡️ NSA comes out: The director and official number 2 of the National Security Agency were expelled from their positions yesterday, with Laura Loomer, a theoretical conspiracy of the extreme right that met with Trump this week, taking credit for their removals. Read more →
- ➡️ FDA comes out: More main vaccine regulators in the Food and Drug Administration have left or have been forced after the resignation last week of the agency’s high official, which according to experts could hinder their ability to approve new vaccines and other drugs. Read more →
✉️ Mailbag: Is the government paying musk?
Thanks to all those who sent us an email this week! Here is this week’s reader’s question:
“Is Elon Musk receiving a government salary?”
To respond to that, we turn to the national political reporter Ben Kamisar. Here is your answer:
Elon Musk is what is known as a “special government employee”, a label granted to external experts brought to the government to provide their part -time experience without becoming a full -time administration employee. He is not drawing a salary, but he has to comply with certain rules such as conflict railings and only 130 days of a period of 365 days are expected to work. Here are more in the “Special Government Employee” position and how the White House says it is driving Elon Musk, particularly around the question of conflicts of interest.
That’s all of the politics desk for now. Today’s newsletter was compiled by Scott Bland and Faith Wardwell.
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