GOP’s Tax Bill Scoring Plan Hinges on Using Obscure Budget Law

The Senate’s top Republican is citing an obscure provision of federal law to justify a controversial scoring method for expiring provisions of the 2017 tax law, the latest GOP move to secure a permanent extension of a signature tax bill.

“The law is very clear” that the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee has the ability to implement a baseline based on “current policy” to score the vast majority of the tax provisions of the planned budget reconciliation bill, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters Tuesday.

“But obviously we’re consulting regularly with the parliamentarian on the best way ...