Discussion Thread: US Senate Debates and Considers the Republican Budget Resolution on April 4th, 2025

[u/PoliticsModeratorBot]

News and Analysis

• CBS: Senate Republicans unveil budget resolution key to unlocking Trump agenda (Published two days ago)

• NBC: Senate Republicans vote to advance a massive budget blueprint for Trump's agenda | The Senate voted 52-48 to begin debate on a multitrillion-dollar plan that would cut taxes, boost spending for immigration enforcement and the military and raise the debt limit. (Published yesterday)

• NBC: GOP concerns about tax cut strategy and Medicaid loom over Senate budget

• AP: Republicans moving ahead with Trump’s ‘big’ bill of tax breaks and spending cuts amid tariff uproar

• ABC: Video: Senate Republicans set to push Trump agenda forward with vote-a-rama

• Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget: Senate Budget Could Enable Unprecedented Deficit Increase

Live Updates

Relevant text-based, live update pages are being maintained by the following outlets: NBC, and Politico (soft paywall).

Where to Watch

• PBS NewsHour via YouTube: Senate convenes as Republicans push for Trump’s budget bill of tax and spending cuts

• C-SPAN: U.S. Senate, 2025-04-04 | The Senate is considering a revised version of the 2025 House Republicans' budget resolution.

[u/SUNTAN_1]

The way he talks about tariffs as if they are an infinite money glitch --- "We are gonna charge THEM using these tariffs!" and is so consistent with that messaging as if he almost believes it, is almost just as psycho as "We're building a wall, and Mexico is gonna pay for it!"

Note that the "Mexico is gonna pay for it!" part was a distraction, designed to obfuscate confuse and bamboozle --- because his REAL goal was to be able to get Congress to cough up taxpayer funding for a 300 billion dollar construction project where HE would get to hand-pick and choose all the contractors and subcontractors.

=== ====

And now, tariffs. Let's simplify it, with washing machines.

(a) Five million Americans want to buy a washing machine for cleaning their clothes. They could "buy American" for $1200, or buy one imported from China for $600. EVERYONE buys the $600 washing machine.

(b) Trump announces 50 percent tariff on washing machines.

(c) HOME DEPOT, LOWES or whoever sells washing machines, keeps buying washing machines from China, but now sells them for $900 --- still cheaper than an American-made washing machine.

(d) The American Consumer ends up paying the higher price.

[u/Zealot_Alec → u/SUNTAN_1]

30 Rock the American made furniture plotline

[u/SUNTAN_1 → u/Zealot_Alec]

Jack's Mission: Jack is tasked with making KouchTown, GE's terrible furniture division, profitable.

The Angle: His big marketing push is to heavily emphasize that KouchTown furniture is "Made in America." He tries to leverage patriotism and the idea of supporting American manufacturing.

The Problem: The KouchTown furniture is revealed to be absolutely awful – uncomfortable, poorly constructed, potentially dangerous, and generally hideous.

The Comedy: The humor comes from Jack's increasingly desperate attempts to sell this demonstrably bad product solely on the "Made in America" angle, highlighting the clash between patriotic marketing spin and terrible product quality.