Current Policy Baseline: The Budget Trick That Could Make Tax Cuts Look Free
New York TimesMAR 31
Senate GOP Unveils $5T Budget Plan to Extend Trump Tax Cuts
Above: A chart displaying the federal budget behind Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) during a Senate Budget Committee confirmation hearing on March 5, 2025. Image copyright: Allison Robbert/Contributor/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
The budget resolution represents a crucial step toward implementing Trump's agenda, providing necessary funding for border security and the military while making President Trump's 2017 tax cuts permanent to energize the economy. The plan will also responsibly address spending through careful line-item review to cut out every cent of wasteful spending, saving the American taxpayer billions, if not trillions, in the long run.
Democratic narrative
Republican "magic math" can't conceal the truth that this budget would drive the largest deficit increase in U.S. history while their deceptive "current policy baseline" gimmick adds $37 trillion in debt. They plan to cut $1.5 trillion from vital programs that hardworking Americans rely on. This will result in hardship for families and handouts for billionaires.