April 13, 2021 7:02 AM By Zachary Sherwood and Brandon Lee
Republican lawmakers spent much of the last four years rebranding as a working-class party, following then-President Donald Trumpâs lead on things like immigration and tariffs and setting aside their push to cut spending on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
But Trumpâs campaign pledge to âsaveâ safety-net programs has left conservatives with an identity crisis. With their party now in the minority, key GOP leaders want to bring back the push for entitlement changes that was a top priority under former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), while a younger generation of lawmakers is keen to follow through on Trumpâs lead and all but ignore budget deficits.