The House on Thursday narrowly passed a budget resolution, furthering the GOP's goal for comprehensive tax reform by the end of the year. The measure passed 216-212, with all Democrats voting against it along with 20 Republican defectors.
The $4 trillion budget for 2018 calls for $1.3 trillion in cuts to all non-Medicare health-care initiatives, Vox explains, plus a $473 billion cut to Medicare itself. Other welfare programs, like food stamps and pensions, would suffer $653 billion in cuts. The budget, which was approved 51-49 in the Senate last week, additionally allows for Republicans to pass their $1.5 trillion tax cut plan in the Senate with only a simple majority.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) said Thursday that Republicans would introduce their tax bill Nov. 1 and begin committee markup Nov. 6.