Usually, the federal government spends to help people through recessions. Now, “there will be far less attempt to cushion the effects,” said political economist Mark Blyth.

The fight is over how to frame the numbers, one tax law expert says, because that changes the rhetoric. A Senate adviser will decide.

Supporters of an extension to the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act point to revenue collection numbers to say that they did. But those numbers may not tell the whole story.

Republicans have a slim majority in the House of Representatives — and those from liberal states could throw their weight around.

The Trump administration said the tax cuts would pay for themselves, but according to a study “that’s just not true at all.”

Many provisions of that tax law expire at the end of this year — including the individual tax cuts for most Americans.

Tax cuts, tariffs and mass deportations could put upward pressure on prices — and interest rates.

Among economic themes, Vice President Kamala Harris highlighted the need to protect Social Security and Medicare, and a tax cut for middle-income households.

Alan Rappeport, economic policy reporter at The New York Times, examines the former president’s assertions about inflation, taxes and energy.

In the debate over the debt and deficit, experts say tax breaks that skew toward the wealthy deserve as close a look as government spending.