Ruthless Podcast What's REALLY Behind The Trump Vs. Musk Reconciliation Fight?
20 snips
Jun 5, 2025 
Senator Joni Ernst, a key figure in the Senate from Iowa, dives into the complexities of the 'Big Beautiful Bill' while sharing hilarious stories from congressional life. Meanwhile, professional golfer Talor Gooch, currently with LIV Golf, reflects on his golfing escapades with Trump and even touches on his adventures in bull riding. The conversation heats up around tax cuts and the misconceptions surrounding government spending, as Ernst and Gooch offer unique perspectives on politics intersecting with sports.
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True Scope of the Big Bill
- The "Big Beautiful Bill" mainly extends 2017 tax cuts and reforms Medicaid with work requirements and immigration restrictions.
- Congress can't address most spending in reconciliation, limiting what can be changed to taxes and entitlements.
Flawed CBO Deficit Scoring
- The Congressional Budget Office assumes higher baseline tax rates from 2016, so keeping current rates is seen as increasing the deficit.
- Tax cuts promote economic growth that generates more revenue, but CBO scoring is static and misleading.
Don't Confuse Taxes with Spending
- Understand reconciliation deals only with taxes and entitlements, not general spending or appropriations.
- Avoid conflating tax cuts with government 'spending' as critics and Elon Musk mistakenly do.