WASHINGTON, D.C. — Wyoming’s U.S. senators don’t want to raise taxes on the wealthy, saying they are loath to slap tax hikes on anyone, period.
President Donald Trump in a social media post Friday broached the idea of a tax increase for the richest Americans. The post was far from a ringing endorsement of the notion, but with budget battles now in full swing on Capitol Hill, it did throw a wild card into the mix.
U.S. Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, the Senate’s second-ranking Republican, was questioned about Trump’s post on NBC’s “Meet The Press” on Sunday.
“Would you support that: increasing taxes on the highest income earners?” host Kristen Welker asked, referring to Americans who make at least $2.5 million a year.
“Well, I’m a conservative and I don’t want to increase taxes on anybody,” Barrasso responded.
He added that Republicans must extend the tax cuts set in Trump’s first term to avoid a $4 trillion tax hike over the long term, hitting earners in various income ranges.
U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyoming, agreed with Barrasso’s comments.
“Senator Lummis agrees with Senator Barrasso — we should not be raising taxes on anyone,” Joe Jackson, a spokesman for Lummis, told Cowboy State Daily in an email.
The office of U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyoming, had no comment when contacted Monday by Cowboy State Daily.
Long Process
In April, the Republican-led House and Senate passed multi-year budget blueprints, instructing committees to write spending bills within certain parameters.
The blueprints envisioned extending the tax cuts made in Trump’s first term; specifically in 2017 under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
The April guidelines left the details for later as to how to pay for GOP priorities like increased military and border security spending. Now, Republicans are getting down to those details as they weigh Trump’s fiscal 2026 budget proposal unveiled May 2.
The GOP’s challenge is to preserve the 2017 tax cuts while juggling other Republican priorities. Many Republicans are adamant about cutting down the nation’s $37 trillion debt.
At the same time, Democrats for weeks have been warning of steep cuts to health care spending under the GOP’s plans. They stepped up their criticism Monday as details emerged about budget legislation in the House Ways and Means Committee.
That legislation was teased late last week by U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, the Missouri Republican who chairs Ways and Means. Smith called the legislation the “one big, beautiful bill” Trump has been asking for.
“Seven years ago, the Trump tax cuts sparked an economic boom and provided needed relief to working families,” Smith said in a statement. “Pro-family, pro-worker tax provisions are the heart of President Trump’s economic agenda that puts working families ahead of Washington and will create jobs, grow wages and investment, and help usher in a new golden age of prosperity.”
U.S. Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on Ways and Means, had a different view.
“Releasing this bill under the cover of darkness, omitting major provisions, the only marker that this is Republican marquee legislation are the tax cuts for billionaires,” he said in a statement.
In Trump's post, he said increasing taxes for the wealthy might in fact be a liability for Republicans in Congress. Democrats, according to Trump, would likely seize on such a move to associate Republicans with higher taxes.
“In any event, Republicans should probably not do it, but I’m OK if they do!!!” Trump posted.
