INTERNACIONAL
GOP push to make Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent, say going back would be a ‘dramatic’ change for many
Tax season is done.
And this year, Congressional Republicans converted tax season to «sales» season. Republicans and President Donald Trump are pushing to approve a bill to reauthorize his 2017 tax cut package. Otherwise, those taxes expire later this year.
«We absolutely have to make the tax cuts permanent,» said Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., on FOX Business.
«We’ve got to get the renewal of the President’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. That’s absolutely essential,» said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., on FOX Business.
Rates for nearly every American spike if Congress doesn’t act within the next few months.
CONFIDENCE IN DEMOCRATS HITS ALL TIME LOW IN NEW POLL
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks with the media after the House passed the budget resolution on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
«We are trying to avoid tax increases on the most vulnerable populations in our country,» said Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee which determines tax policy. «I am trying to avoid a recession.»
If Congress stumbles, the non-partisan Tax Foundation estimates that a married couple with two children – earning $165,000 a year – is slapped with an extra $2,400 in taxes. A single parent with no kids making $75,000 annually could see a $1,700 upcharge on their tax bill. A single parent with two children bringing home $52,000 a year gets slapped with an additional $1,400 in taxes a year.
«Pretty significant. That’s an extra mortgage payment or extra rent payment,» said Daniel Bunn of the non-partisan Tax Foundation. «People have been kind of used to living with the policies that are currently in law for almost eight years now. And the shift back to the policy that was prior to the 2017 tax cuts would be a dramatic tax increase for many.»
But technically, Republicans aren’t cutting taxes.
«As simple as I can make this bill. It is about keeping tax rates the same,» said Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, on Fox.
Congress had to write the 2017 tax reduction bill in a way so that the reductions would expire this year. That was for accounting purposes. Congress didn’t have to count the tax cuts against the deficit thanks to some tricky number-crunching mechanisms – so long as they expired within a multi-year window. But the consequence was that taxes could climb if lawmakers failed to renew the old reductions.
«It sunsets and so you just automatically go back to the tax levels prior to 2017,» said Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.
A recent Fox News poll found that 45% of those surveyed – and 44% of independents believe the rich don’t pay enough taxes.
Democrats hope to turn outrage about the perceived tax disparity against Trump.
«He wants his billionaire buddies to get an even bigger tax break. Is that disgraceful?» asked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., at a rally in New York.
«Disgrace!» shouted someone in the crowd.
«Disgraceful! Disgraceful!» followed up Schumer.
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., (R) speaks alongside Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., (L) to reporters during a news conference on the impacts of the Republican budget proposal at the U.S. Capitol on April 10, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
Some Republicans are now exploring raising rates on the wealthy or corporations. There’s been chatter on Capitol Hill and in the administration about exploring an additional set of tax brackets.
«I don’t believe the president has made a determination on whether he supports it or not,» said White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.
«We’re going to see where the President is» on this, said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent while traveling in Argentina. «Everything is on the table.»
A Treasury spokesperson then clarified Bessent’s remarks.
«What’s off the table is a $4.4 trillion tax increase on the American people,» said the spokesperson. «Additionally, corporate tax cuts will set off a manufacturing boom and rapidly grow the U.S. economy again.»
Top Congressional GOP leaders dismissed the idea.
«I’m not a big fan of doing that,» said House Speaker Mike Johnson on Fox. «I mean we’re the Republican party and we’re for tax reduction for everyone.»
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«I don’t support that initiative,» said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., on FOX Business, before adding «everything’s on the table.»
But if you’re President Donald Trump and the GOP, consider the politics of creating a new corporate tax rate or hiking taxes on the well-to-do.
Sunrise light hits the U.S. Capitol dome on Thursday, January 2, 2025, as the 119th Congress is set to begin Friday. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The president has expanded the GOP base. Republicans are no longer the party of the «wealthy.» Manual laborers, shop and storekeepers and small business persons now comprise Trump’s GOP. So maintaining these tax cuts helps with that working-class core. Raising taxes on the wealthy would help Republicans pay for the tax cuts and reduce the hit on the deficit. And it would shield Republicans from the Democrats’ argument that the tax cuts are for the rich.
Congress is now in the middle of a two-week recess for Passover and Easter. GOP lawmakers and staff are working behind the scenes to actually write the bill. No one knows exactly what will be in the bill. Trump promised no taxes on tips for food service workers. There is also talk of no taxes on overtime.
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Republicans from high-tax states like New York and Pennsylvania want to see a reduction of «SALT.» That’s where taxpayers can write off «state and local taxes.» This provision is crucial to secure the support of Republicans like Reps. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., and Mike Lawler, R-N.Y. But including the SALT reduction also increases the deficit.
So what will the bill look like?
«Minor adjustments within that are naturally on the table,» said Rounds. «The key though, [is] 218 in the House and 51 in the Senate.»
In other words, it’s about the math. Republicans need to develop the right legislative brew which commands just the right amount of votes in both chambers to pass. That could mean including certain provisions – or dumping others. It’s challenging. Especially with the slim House majority.
People attend a press conference and rally in support of fair taxation near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on April 10, 2025. (Bryan Dozier / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP)
«There were trade-offs and offsets within that bill that many people are dissatisfied with,» said Bunn of the 2017 bill. «And it’s not clear how the package is going to come together with those various trade-offs.»
Johnson wants the bill complete by Memorial Day. Republicans know this enterprise can’t drag on too late into the year. Taxpayers would see a tax increase – even if it’s temporary – if working out the bill stretches into the fall when the IRS begins to prepare for the next tax season.
It’s also thought that finishing this sooner rather than later would provide some stability to the volatile stock markets. Establishing tax policy for next year would calm anxieties about the nation’s economic outlook.
«The big, beautiful bill,» Trump calls it, adding he wants the legislation done «soon.»
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And that’s why tax season is now sales season. Both to the lawmakers. And to the public.
Politics,Taxes,Congress,Donald Trump
INTERNACIONAL
Schumer blasts Trump’s Iran war as failure, moves to rein in his war powers amid ceasefire
Strait of Hormuz at center of fragile Iran ceasefire
Fox News correspondents break down the latest in the double-side ceasefire as the White House rejects public reports that Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz after the ceasefire agreement and U.S.-NATO relations appear frayed on ‘America Reports.’
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The top Senate Democrat argued that President Donald Trump’s war in Iran has left the U.S. worse off, and plans to force another vote to handcuff the president’s war powers as a fragile ceasefire begins.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced that Senate Democrats will again force a vote on a war powers resolution to rein in Trump’s use of the military in Iran when the upper chamber returns. The Senate is slated to return Monday, but the exact day when Democrats will pull the trigger next week is still in the air.
Schumer argued the war was «one of the very worst military and foreign policy actions that the United States has ever taken,» at a Wednesday press conference in New York City, and contended that the conflict has left the U.S. worse off in global credibility, left Iran’s nuclear ambitions unchecked, increased gas prices and hampered control of the Strait of Hormuz.
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced that Senate Democrats will again force a vote on a war powers resolution to rein in Trump’s use of the military in Iran. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu)
His decision to again try to curtail Trump’s war authorities comes as the U.S. and Iran have entered a two-week ceasefire — a deal brokered just before Trump’s apocalyptic deadline Tuesday night.
«Trump must end the war now,» Schumer said. «The only viable solution is a lasting diplomatic one. A two-week ceasefire, especially one as fragile as this, is not a strategy. It’s not a diplomatic solution. It’s not a plan.»
Republicans lauded the ceasefire, however. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., contended on X that it would be «Iran’s chance to do the right thing.»
«Excellent news,» Scott said Tuesday night. «This is a strong first step toward holding Iran accountable and what happens when you have a leader who puts peace through strength over chaos and weak appeasement policies.»
As the newly minted ceasefire enters its first day, Iran has already presented a 10-point plan for a broader peace agreement. The proposal includes demands to retain control of the Strait of Hormuz and continue a uranium enrichment program — conditions Trump swiftly rejected.
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Many critics of President Donald Trump have suggested he chickened out for not committing what they initially insisted was a «genocide» of the Iranian people. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
«There is only one group of meaningful ‘POINTS’ that are acceptable to the United States, and we will be discussing them behind closed doors during these negotiations,» Trump said on Truth Social. «These are the POINTS that are the basis on which we agreed to a CEASEFIRE.»
Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner are slated to negotiate a broader peace deal in person in Islamabad over the weekend.
But Schumer and Senate Democrats are calling for an immediate end to the conflict.
IRAN REVEALS 10-POINT PLAN FOR PEACE WITH THE US – HERE’S WHAT’S IN IT
A view of the damaged B1 bridge, a day after it was destroyed by an airstrike, on April 3, 2026, west of Tehran in Karaj, Iran. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)
«Congress must reassert its authority, especially at this dangerous moment,» Schumer said. «No president, Democrat or Republican, should take this country to war alone — not now, not ever. Republicans will once again have the opportunity to join Democrats and end this reckless war of choice.»
His plan to again force a vote on a war powers resolution would mark the fourth such attempt in the upper chamber since the conflict began in late February.
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Senate Democrats had initially teed up five war powers resolutions to force Trump to withdraw forces from the region in a bid to grind the Senate to a halt and compel Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to testify on Operation Epic Fury.
The previous attempts have all been blocked by Republicans, despite growing unease within the GOP over Trump’s recent threats to bomb power plants and bridges, as well as his warning that a «whole civilization will die tonight.»
chuck schumer, war with iran, senate elections, democrats senate, politics, donald trump
Incluso antes de la guerra en Irán, país afectado por las sanciones, la inflación rondaba el 50%, y el descontento por la situación económica había alimentado protestas antigubernamentales masivas. Tras más de cinco semanas de conflicto, los problemas no han hecho más que agravarse.
Más allá del temor diario a los ataques, el efecto más inmediato de la guerra ha sido otra espiral alcista en los precios de todo, desde productos básicos (alimentos, bebidas, medicamentos o pañales) hasta almuerzos en cafés de moda en la ciudad.
Amir, un iraní de 40 años de las afueras de Teherán, contó recientemente a la AFP cómo el precio de la marca de tostadas que suele comprar había subido repentinamente de 700.000 riales a 1.000.000 (alrededor de 0,75 dólares).
Un amigo suyo tuvo que pagar 180 millones de riales por una pastilla para el tratamiento del cáncer que costaba alrededor de tres millones antes de que comenzaran los ataques de Estados Unidos e Israel contra el país el 28 de febrero. “Y tienen que comprar una tableta cada 20 días”, explicó.
Kaveh, un artista de la capital, explicó cómo el popular café Dobar, en el centro de Teherán, “aumentó los precios un 25 por ciento en todos sus productos en un solo día”.
Incluso en el noroeste de Irán, una zona que suele estar bien abastecida con importaciones de la vecina Turquía, “algunos productos cuestan el triple de su precio habitual”, declaró una mujer de 50 años a un periodista de la AFP.
Como muestra de la galopante inflación, el banco central introdujo a mediados de marzo un nuevo billete de diez millones de riales, la denominación más reciente y de mayor valor en circulación. El mes anterior, había presentado un billete de cinco millones, una cifra récord en aquel entonces, lo que reflejaba la fuerte caída del valor de la moneda, que se ha desplomado desde la primera guerra con Estados Unidos e Israel en junio pasado.
Las dificultades económicas y la devaluación del rial fueron factores clave detrás de las mayores protestas antigubernamentales de la historia reciente a principios de año, que comenzaron con huelgas de comerciantes en el famoso bazar de Teherán. Según grupos de derechos humanos, miles de personas murieron en la represión que siguió.
“Un desastre”
Si bien las recientes subidas de precios han ejercido una mayor presión sobre los presupuestos familiares, muchas personas también se han quedado sin trabajo. La guerra ha provocado el cierre de muchos negocios, dejando a los empleados en una situación de incertidumbre sobre si recibirán o no sus salarios.
Los bazares de todo el país han restringido sus horarios de apertura, mientras que las empresas constructoras han despedido a trabajadores en masa, muchos de ellos inmigrantes de Afganistán.
“Cuando comenzó la guerra , las oportunidades de trabajo escasearon y la gente dejó de construir”, dijo a la AFP Faizullah Arab, un pintor desempleado de 23 años, a su regreso a Afganistán el fin de semana pasado desde Teherán. “Los empleadores se han ido al extranjero y los negocios han paralizado”, añadió su compatriota Walijan Akbari, un obrero de 42 años.
Cualquier persona que dependa de internet o que gestione un negocio de comercio electrónico también ha tenido que lidiar con más de cinco semanas de un apagón de comunicaciones que ha dejado en funcionamiento únicamente la limitada red nacional de Irán .
“Sinceramente, me preocupa mucho nuestro futuro, sobre todo en lo económico”, declaró a la AFP la semana pasada una mujer de 35 años que trabaja en el sector financiero en el centro de Isfahán. “Las cosas son un desastre ahora mismo”.
“Despidos masivos, cierres generalizados… todo resulta abrumador”.
Los ataques aéreos contra la industria siderúrgica de Irán, vital para una amplia gama de industrias, así como contra las instalaciones petroquímicas, los puentes y las carreteras, probablemente tendrán un impacto a largo plazo en la economía nacional .
Problemas bancarios
Adnan Mazarei, ex alto funcionario del Fondo Monetario Internacional especializado en Oriente Medio, declaró a la AFP que el sector bancario de la posguerra también sería un área de gran preocupación.
“Antes del estallido de esta guerra con Israel, Estados Unidos e Irán , el sistema bancario se encontraba en una situación difícil, muy vulnerable en general, con balances débiles“, declaró a la AFP. Según él, el sector se verá aún más perjudicado por la guerra, ya que los consumidores y las empresas no podrán pagar sus préstamos.
Durante la guerra se impusieron límites a los cajeros automáticos para evitar retiradas masivas de dinero, pero las tarjetas y los servicios de banca en línea han funcionado en general durante la mayor parte del conflicto.
La quiebra bancaria más reciente involucró a Ayandeh Bank, uno de los bancos privados más grandes del país, que colapsó a finales del año pasado bajo el peso de préstamos incobrables y pérdidas equivalentes a 5.200 millones de dólares.
Mazarei sospecha que podrían ser necesarios más rescates, y que el banco central se verá obligado a imprimir dinero para salvarlos. “Por supuesto, esto aumentará la oferta monetaria, lo que a su vez provocará una mayor inflación”, añadió. Según la agencia estadística de Irán, la inflación anual fue del 47,5 por ciento en febrero.
(AFP)
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Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., is demanding that the Transportation Security Administration reintroduce its controversial policy requiring travelers to take off their shoes before going through airport security checkpoints.
Duckworth called on the TSA to immediately reverse its move to end the «shoes-off» policy, calling former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s decision last summer to scrap the policy a «reckless act» that may put travelers at risk.
«Secretary Noem’s decision to implement a shoes on policy on July 8, 2025, likely without meaningful consultation with TSA, was a reckless act,» Duckworth wrote in a letter to Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill.
«Allowing a potentially catastrophic security deficiency to remain in place for seven months and counting betrays TSA’s mission,» she added. «At a minimum, TSA’s failure to swiftly implement corrective action warrants the immediate withdrawal of Secretary Noem’s reckless and dangerous policy that increases the risk of a terrorist smuggling a dangerous item onto a flight.»
NEARLY 20-YEAR SHOE-OFF AIRPORT SECURITY POLICE IS ENDED BY TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
Sen. Tammy Duckworth demanded that the TSA bring back its policy requiring travelers to take off their shoes to go through security checkpoints at airports. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
This comes after a classified watchdog report found that TSA scanners cannot effectively screen shoes, according to CBS News. Duckworth said the inspector general flagged the issue as urgent to Noem but that no action was taken.
Duckworth said that the inspector general found that Noem’s policy shift had «inadvertently created a new security vulnerability in the system.»
The former secretary’s failure to take corrective action after the report’s findings was «outrageous, unacceptable and dangerous to the flying public,» Duckworth said.
The senator argues that TSA’s lack of response may violate federal law, writing that the agency missed a legally required 90-day deadline to outline corrective actions after receiving the watchdog’s report.
«Such inaction violates Federal law, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance and DHS’s own directives,» Duckworth wrote.
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Sen. Tammy Duckworth called former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s decision last summer to scrap the policy a «reckless act» that may put travelers at risk. (Rebecca Blackwell / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
The previous policy requiring passengers to take off their shoes during TSA screening was implemented in 2006.
The senator wrote that Noem’s policy change reflected a «willingness to gamble the American people’s security,» calling it a «stunning failure of leadership.»
«We expect this change will drastically decrease passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience,» she said at the time. «As always, security remains our top priority. Thanks to our cutting-edge technological advancements and multi-layered security approach, we are confident we can implement this change while maintaining the highest security standards.»
Duckworth accused Noem, who was removed by President Donald Trump last month and replaced by current DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, of prioritizing politics over security.
The previous policy requiring passengers to take off their shoes to go through TSA screening was implemented in 2006. (iStock)
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The senator wrote that Noem’s policy change reflected a «willingness to gamble the American people’s security,» calling it a «stunning failure of leadership.»
«Secretary Noem’s willingness to gamble the American people’s security in an unsuccessful attempt to boost her popularity was, and remains, a stunning failure of leadership—particularly following President Trump’s decision to launch an unconstitutional war of choice against Iran that DHS has determined, «is causing a heightened threat environment in the United States,» she wrote.
airports, homeland security, markwayne mullin, kristi noem, politics, donald trump
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