Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear this segmentRepublicans raised the federal deficit by nearly $1.5 trillion after passing a package of tax cuts. House Speaker Paul Ryan and many conservatives are aiming to offset those costs by making drastic cuts to entitlement programs,like Medicare and food stamps. But Mitch McConnell has signaled that the Senate won't be following suit.
The divisions between congressional Republicans might complicate efforts to pass this year's budget. Holding onto a slender majority in the Senate, the GOP will most likely need to rely on budget reconciliation to avoid a Democratic filibuster.
Will competing philosophies on debt and the deficit derail congressional efforts to pass major legislation in 2018? Seung Min Kim is a Senate reporter for Politico. She joins The Takeaway to discuss the future of entitlements.
This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich.
Source: thetakeaway.org