BNA reports that a part of the ill-fated "Trifecta" bill of this past summer--so named because it included a minor death tax reform, a minimum wage booster, and a mish-mash of tax "extenders"--may be on the table again during the lame duck Congress.

The new legislation would include only the tax extenders, which are a strange mix of special-interest subsidies, incentives for bad state-level tax policy, and handouts to business. Extending these things for a year would cost $15 billion, according to the JCT. Another year would add $10 billion to the price.

Bill Beach argues that these special exemptions and credits injure the cause of tax reform:

Our current tax code is riddled with enormous tax breaks for particular types of economic and social behavior, and subsidies that the code gives certain taxpayers is a major reason why our broken tax code remains unreformed. After all, why would anyone want to give up a claim to a big tax break? The “tax extenders” about to be considered by the Senate would perpetuate these tax subsidies and, in some instances, increase their value to taxpayers.

These extenders are basically special-interest pork masquerading as tax cuts. Real tax cuts that boost the economy are broad based, don't play favorites, usually don't make the tax code much more complicated, and reduce negative incentives on productive activity. The extenders package fails on all counts.

Congress would do far better to get the ball rolling on real tax reform. Really, even doing nothing would be a better course. And if the GOP is truly interested in reclaiming its mantle as the party for fiscal conservatives, Larry Kudlow has a proposal that would take a big step in that direction and maybe even put the heat on Democrats hoping to boost taxes over the next two years.