Indictments will help Republicans pass their tax cuts.

[Tom Rinaldo]

4. This is where Congressional stuff becomes arcane for me

I am aware that in order to use reconciliation in the Senate, and thus avoid needing a filibuster proof majority to pass legislation there, that a bill must be related to finances and either revenue neutral or deficit shrinking. However the reporting that I've seen seems to indicate that the critical importance of passing a budget first was to enable a "tax reform" bill to go through the Senate that will increase the deficit. I don't understand the legalities of adopting a formal budget first opening a door wide for budget busting "Tax Reform", and I can easily be wrong about that. It was my impression that the Republicans needed, for political window dressing and as a bone to deficit hawks, to show some ability to close some significant tax loopholes while also cutting taxes, and so they have been looking to close "loopholes" that largely benefit folks in solid blue states, plus those that won't hit the one percent hardest by repealing them. I don't think they are claiming their Tax Reform" to be revenue neutral on the face of it. I think they are claiming that subsequent spurred economic growth will wipe out the huge deficits they are causing.

The Republicans once again opted for the "plan drawn up in secret by a small group of men" approach for their tax cuts. On the early rounds of attempted Obamacare repeal they were able to manage some snap votes using that approach. House Republicans got hung up to dry by one of those - and then Trump called that legislation "mean" afterwards. I fear that they are so desperate to get a "win" on something that they could stampeded Congressional Republicans into not impeding that now with bothersome objections.