Trump’s tax bill is Republicans’ big, bloated, $4 trillion headache

GOP lawmakers prioritize politics over economic growth

Published: May 14, 2025 at 5:26 p.m. ET

House Republicans on the tax-writing committee this week advanced a bill that would stave off a tax hike for most Americans. In crafting the legislation, the committee partially caved to the demands of both the White House and the SALT Caucus, sending to the House floor a bill that forgoes simplicity, falls short of true fiscal responsibility and leaves sustained economic growth in the dust. 

Tax reform, in any Congress under any timeline, is hard. And while it is commendable that House Ways and Means Committee Chair Rep. Jason Smith, a Missouri Republican, has crafted a plan that fits within the reconciliation revenue instructions and keeps American taxpayers with fuller pockets, this bill prioritizes politics over economic growth.