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House Republicans have shown some willingness to pass another tax extenders bill without much concern over the cost, despite criticism from Democrats and White House veto threats. The House has moved several revenue bills, permanently extending both individual and corporate tax breaks over the past month totaling more than $300 billion, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates while none of the tax bills have been offset by spending cuts or new revenue. That is because House Republicans know that making the tax credits permanent would prompt the CBO to lower its long-term revenue projections and the baseline tax writers use for putting together broader tax overhaul legislation.

The Senate has so far held off on moving any tax measures hoping to first build bipartisan support for a tax code re-write. Both parties have also been far apart on the sequester returns in full force for fiscal 2016 while President Obama’s fiscal 2016 budget proposal calls for ending the mandated sequester cuts through raising discretionary spending of $75 billion in fiscal 2016 and paying for it mainly by raising taxes on the wealthy. Republicans, however, have balked at the President’s proposal. Many conservatives are pleased that the caps have held spending in check throughout several years and see no reason to raise them. Other GOP lawmakers, particularly defense hawks who want to boost Pentagon accounts, but oppose doing so with increased taxes.