In 2024, Democrats ran on the platform of “never Donald Trump” more than they ran on any valid policy ideas, and two years into his current term, they’re still the party of “never Trump.”
Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee voted down a Democratic amendment that sought to block the Trump administration’s proposal to limit certain IRS audit procedures involving President Donald Trump and members of his family, while advancing a broader tax administration bill with bipartisan support.
The committee rejected the amendment by a 14-13 party-line vote, according to Politico.
Lawmakers then approved the underlying legislation by a vote of 26-1, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., casting the only vote against the measure.
Democrats have strongly criticized the administration’s proposal, arguing it would give Trump protections from IRS audits that are not available to other taxpayers and characterizing the plan as an abuse of executive authority.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, argued that adopting the Democratic amendment would have jeopardized the broader tax administration bill, which includes more than 60 largely noncontroversial provisions aimed at improving IRS operations and administration.
“This is not the place,” Crapo said.
“If this bill were to become the vehicle where this issue is resolved, it would basically make this bill a partisan bill,” giving it “a much dimmer future for becoming law,” he added.
Warren complained that she didn’t back the measure because it didn’t address the audit agreement involving Trump, whose privacy was violated by an IRS contractor who leaked a copy of his tax returns to The New York Times during Trump’s first term.
“No other taxpayer, ever, has gotten this kind of a deal,” Warren said.
“I cannot support a bill that rubber stamps Donald Trump’s corruption. Congress needs to stand up and put a stop to it,” she said.
Trump has not been charged with any acts of corruption, and Warren did not point to any specifics to support her claim.
The administration announced the proposed IRS audit policy in May after President Trump agreed to withdraw what officials described as a likely unsuccessful lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the disclosure of his tax information by contractor Charles Littlejohn to The Times.
Republicans are entering the final stretch of the 2026 midterm elections with a financial advantage that could be decisive in the battle for Congress.
With control of the House and Senate at stake, President Trump and Republican organizations have amassed hundreds of millions of dollars to defend GOP majorities and target Democrats across critical battleground states.
The numbers demonstrate just how formidable the Republican financial machine has become.
Federal Election Commission data through June showed Republican Party committees holding roughly $301 million in cash, compared with about $186 million for Democratic committees.
The Republican National Committee alone reported $128.5 million available, while the Democratic National Committee held just $16.3 million and carried $18.5 million in debt.
That advantage extends into the battle for the House.
The National Republican Congressional Committee announced in September that its war chest had reached $89 million, giving Republicans what the committee described as its largest cash advantage over Democrats at this stage of an election cycle.
Then came another extraordinary injection of cash.
An October fundraiser featuring Trump generated a record-breaking $36.8 million for the NRCC and Republican candidates, according to the committee.
But the biggest financial weapon available to Republicans may belong to Trump’s political operation.
MAGA Inc., Trump’s powerhouse super PAC, entered September with approximately $415 million available, an enormous stockpile that Republican strategists had spent months waiting to see deployed.
Now, that money is pouring onto the battlefield.
Republican-aligned groups have reserved at least $888 million in political advertising during the closing stretch, compared with at least $666 million for Democratic groups, according to AdImpact figures reported by Reuters.
The Senate operation is equally formidable.
The Senate Leadership Fund, aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and affiliated organizations announced in August that they had raised more than $500 million this cycle.
More recent reporting indicates the organization alone has raised more than $600 million while deploying hundreds of millions into competitive Senate contests.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
