[ojbyrne]

As I understand it, it's because they could pass "temporary" tax cuts with only 51% in the Senate through the "budget reconciliation process. The Republicans at the time did not have the 60 votes necessary to defeat a filibuster. Not quite the same.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_Cuts_and_Jobs_Act

[bobthepanda]

There hasn’t been 60 votes for a long time. Reconciliation is how a lot of normal legislation is passed.