Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), said that the Senate has taken a significant step toward enacting President Trump's agenda of permanent, pro-growth tax cuts by releasing its budget resolution. This statement was made on ATR's website on April 3.
"Americans for Tax Reform strongly supports the Senate budget plan," said Norquist. "Senate budget resolution unlocks the path to permanency for the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts and further pro-growth tax cuts. Passing this resolution is a huge step towards providing tax relief for American businesses and households."
Norquist told Fox Business that the Senate GOP's proposed $1.5 trillion tax cut package "will certainly include no tax on tips," which he said would benefit both tipped employees and independent contractors like Uber drivers. He explained that this initiative is part of a broader strategy to modernize the tax system for the gig economy. The plan also includes making Trump-era tax cuts permanent and expanding 100% expensing to cover manufacturing buildings.
According to USA Today, the Senate budget proposal assumes tax cuts will be extended without adding to the deficit by treating them as "current policy." It includes a non-binding goal of saving $2 trillion over ten years without requiring major spending cuts. While the proposal pledges to protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits, it leaves room for potential Medicaid spending reductions, framed as targeting inefficiencies.
Time reported that Senate Republicans passed a sweeping $7 trillion framework for extending Trump-era tax cuts and slashing spending despite internal dissent and unified Democratic opposition. The package includes provisions to fund mass deportation efforts and military expansion while sparking criticism for favoring the wealthy and risking cuts to Medicaid and other safety net programs. The measure now heads to the House, where differences over the debt ceiling, scoring methods, and program cuts could complicate its path to final passage.
Norquist has significantly influenced Republican tax policies in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. After graduating from Harvard in 1978, he founded ATR to support tax reforms, including the Tax Reform Act of 1986, and created the "No New Taxes" pledge, which became central to Republican campaigns, according to Britannica.
