‘I never declare victory until the game is over.’ A quiet Idaho senator is holding Trump’s entire tax agenda hostage

Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo from Idaho stands at the center of one of the most crucial legislative battles in recent Republican history, as the fate of Trump-era tax cuts hangs in the balance. The 74-year-old senator, known for his calculated dealmaking behind closed doors, is currently working to finalize his panel’s portion of the party’s massive legislative package.

With a self-imposed July 4 deadline looming, Crapo must navigate the challenging task of uniting 51 Senate Republicans while ensuring the bill remains palatable to House GOP members. The stakes are particularly high as the Republican tax cuts enacted in 2017 are set to expire at the end of this year.

According to Politico, when recently questioned about an anticipated parliamentary ruling on accounting tactics, Crapo demonstrated his characteristic cautious approach, stating, “I never declare victory until the game is over.” This mindset has defined his nearly three-decade Senate career, during which he has earned a reputation for being a quiet but effective dealmaker.

How Crapo’s consensus-building approach might affect the tax bill’s outcome

The Idaho senator’s methodical approach to building agreement among committee members has become both his strength and, potentially, his weakness. According to Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, Crapo is “one of the three most well-respected members of the Republican caucus” who tries to be inclusive, “sometimes to a fault.”

Crapo faces numerous challenges in crafting the tax package, including demands from various Republican senators. These range from Senator Thom Tillis’s concerns about making the “no tax on tips” proposal fairer for blue-collar workers to Senator James Lankford’s desire to reduce new endowment taxes on private universities.

A key point of contention involves the state-and-local-tax deduction cap and the permanence of business tax cuts, which would cost approximately $500 billion to implement. Additionally, Crapo must address concerns from moderate and conservative Republicans alike regarding potential Medicaid coverage losses.

The senator’s past success in brokering difficult deals, such as the 2018 bipartisan agreement to modify Dodd-Frank banking regulations, suggests he has the capability to navigate these challenges. However, this current task represents the highest-stakes political test of his Senate career, requiring him to balance the competing demands of House leaders, fellow Finance Republicans, and Senate parliamentarian rulings.