GOP senators plan to bypass parliamentarian to extend Trump's 2017 tax cuts

Senate Republicans led by South Carolina's Lindsey Graham are reportedly set to bypass the Senate parliamentarian and her expected ruling this week on whether they can use a legislative process – known as budget reconciliation – to pass President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts.

The process can be used only if such an initiative doesn't increase the federal deficit. Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough has yet to decide, so the GOP is forging ahead, in an apparent effort not to appear to be overruling her. 

Graham, as Senate Budget Committee chairman, has determined, based on "scoring" the budget resolution, which includes Trump's tax extensions, that it does increase the deficit. 

“We think the law is very clear, and ultimately the budget committee chairman makes that determination,” Senate Republican leader John Thune said Tuesday.

The South Dakota lawmaker also argued Graham has the authority to decide whether extending the tax cuts would add to the deficit and need for them to be offset by big spending cuts or revenue-raising proposals, according to The Hill newspaper.

Still, Senate Republicans' biggest procedural concern is whether they can project their impact on future deficits by scoring them as “current policy.”

If extending the 2017 cuts is found to be an extension of current policy, then they won’t be counted as officially adding to future deficits, which would allow Republicans to extend the tax cuts permanently, also according to The Hill. 

Democrats are planning to request that the parliamentarian rule that the GOP must use current law baseline to estimate the cost of the tax cuts.

"Republicans are so hell-bent on giving these tax breaks to the billionaires that they’re willing to break any rules, norms and things they promised they wouldn’t do,” Senate Democrat leader Chuck Schumer said.