LARRY KUDLOW: We need a big, ambitious, pro-growth budget bill

When Republicans go for tax cuts and economic growth, they win elections. When they ignore the growth message, and especially when they ignore the growth message and spend more and more taxpayer money, they lose elections. It’s a simple formula, and I am worried that they are about to make a big mistake.

It’s not that our economy is collapsing, it is most certainly holding up very well during wartime. But there is $4 gas and a lot of prices are still rising. And affordability is important. And even the dependable TIPP poll shows that four out of 10 voters think their taxes are higher this year, and only one out of 10 think they’re lower. This despite the numerous tax cuts in the One, Big, Beautiful Bill, which regrettably was never properly sold to American voters.

Last night, I respectfully suggested this to a Senate leadership Republican, Shelley Moore Capito. “I don’t understand what you all are doing with these bills. You’re not going to re-fund” the Department of Homeland Security, I said. “No tax cuts, no inflation indexing for capital gains, no Pentagon military supplement, no voting rights bill, no waste, fraud, and abuse.” 

I added: “Senator Capito, you have to help me because I don’t understand. I think you are all going down the wrong road, ma’am” And she defended the narrow bill.

Yet I think there’s only going to be room for one big budget bill that could pass with 50 votes plus the vice president. This is the reconciliation process. The way matters stand now, the Senate is pushing a so-called “skinny” bill that just finances ICE and CBP for 3.5 years, for about $70 billion. 

Now I’m all for border security and ICE and the Customs bureau. Oddly enough, though, the rest of DHS, Coast Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Transportation Security Administration is not even included in this bill. Then again, the whole world wants voting rights reform to require photo identification and citizenship proof. But the GOP is ignoring that. Go figure. With $4 gas, a necessary casualty of destroying Iran, which I fully support, it’s a small price to pay. nonetheless working folks could use some more money in their pockets with more tax cuts.

Going back to President Reagan, supply-side tax cuts have always resonated positively with voters. President George W. Bush won the midterms by defending America against jihadists and by across-the-board tax cuts. That was back in 2002. Inflation index capital gains might perk up home sales to help the housing slump. Lowering marginal tax rates at least for the middle incomes. And what about waste, fraud, and abuse?

The Medicare administrator, Mehmet Oz, has already found $100 billion worth at Los Angeles alone. Where’s that in this budget? What about filling out the DOGE waste, fraud, and abuse? Hundreds of billions of dollars multiplied over 10 years would be phenomenal deficit reduction, on top of a growthier economy.

So far, we’re not hearing anything about these crucial policies. And they are popular policies. And my best guess is there’s only going to be one bite out of the fiscal apple, just like last year when I made the exact same argument. Let’s have popular policies that will attract all of the Republicans to a more ambitious budget bill that will show real leadership and accomplishment going into the midterm elections.

Please stop telling me what you can’t do and instead start telling working folks everywhere what can be done to help them out and make America growthier again. That’s a midterm victory.