Fearing Tax Increases and Trump, G.O.P. Toils to Pass a Bill With Plenty to Hate

As Congress inches toward final action on the sweeping domestic policy package that President Trump is calling the “big, beautiful bill,” it has come down to this: Republicans are preparing to back a measure that they fear gives their constituents little to love and lots to hate.

The struggle Republicans are experiencing in securing votes for the legislation emanates from the fact that they are being asked to embrace steep cuts to the government safety net that could hit their states and districts hard — all in the service of extending existing tax cuts that don’t offer much in the way of new benefits for most Americans.

The heart of the legislation — $3.8 trillion in tax cuts — is already in place, enacted eight years ago during the first Trump administration. The measure simply extends those tax breaks, leaving Republican lawmakers unable to trumpet generous new tax savings for Americans. On the other hand, the bill would scale back popular health and nutrition programs to pay for part of the enormous cost of keeping the tax rates that are already in place.

At the same time, the bulk of new spending in the legislation goes to the Pentagon and border security, two areas where Americans won’t feel any boost in their own bank accounts.