The Donald’s economic advisers and congressional footmen are of course strategizing significant changes to Medicaid, food stamps and other federal safety net programs to fund the extension of his ginormous and inflationary 2017 tax cuts. Via the Washington Post:
Among the options under discussion by GOP lawmakers and aides are new work requirements and spending caps for the programs, according to seven people familiar with the talks, many of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Those conversations have included some economic officials on Trump’s transition team, the people said.
However, concern is high among some Republicans about the political downsides of such cuts, which would affect programs that provide support for at least 70 million low-income Americans, and some people familiar with the talks stressed that discussions are preliminary.
“I don’t think that passing just an extension of tax cuts that shows on paper an increase in the deficit [is] going to be challenging,” said one GOP tax adviser. “But the other side of the coin is, you start to add things to reduce the deficit, and that gets politically more challenging.”
In other words, they’re trying to avoid actual pitchforks. Good luck with that! When his Majesty speaks, the Lords of the Stool must act.
