By Andy Sullivan
WASHINGTON – President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday urged his fellow Republicans in Congress to combine his priorities into one massive bill that would cut taxes, bolster border security and increase domestic energy production.
Trump said Republicans could cover the cost – which could amount to trillions of dollars – by raising tariffs on imported goods.
“Republicans must unite, and quickly deliver these Historic Victories for the American People. Get smart, tough, and send the Bill to my desk to sign as soon as possible,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Republicans who control both chambers of Congress by narrow majorities have been weighing a complex legislative strategy that could allow them to bypass Democratic opposition to boost border spending and extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, which are due to expire this year.
Lawmakers have been divided over whether to pass those bills separately or combine them into one package, as Trump is urging.
A single bill could potentially allow them to fulfill Trump’s campaign promises quickly, but it could also alienate lawmakers who object to specific provisions. Republicans from high-tax states such as New York and New Jersey, for example, want to change some of the 2017 tax cuts that adversely affected residents in their districts.
Trump is also urging Republicans to eliminate taxes on tipped income, which could increase the overall cost of the legislation.
Republicans plan to invoke a set of complicated budget rules to pass these bills with simple majorities, rather than the supermajority needed to advance most bills in the Senate. That would mean they would not have to appeal to Democrats, but also would limit what they could include in the package.
Republicans also face a high-wire act in the House of Representatives, where their narrow 219-215 majority means they must stay united to pass legislation.