House GOP Unveils 2018 Budget Plan, Setting Up Tax Battle

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On Monday, the Republican hopes to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act essentially died, but by Tuesday morning the GOP was already moving on to the next big battle, a tax overhaul. On Tuesday morning, the House Budget Committee released its 2018 budget blueprint, which calls for significant increases in defense spending matched by $203 billion in cuts to domestic social programs like Medicare, Social Security, federal employee benefits, and welfare over the next decade. Crucially, it also sets up a procedural mechanism that could allow Senate Republicans to overhaul the tax code with no support from Democrats. House Budget Committee Chairwoman Diane Black (R-Tenn.) called the blueprint “not just a vision for our country, but a plan for action” and “a governing document with real solutions to address our biggest challenges.” The first challenge will be getting it passed by a fractious GOP caucus.