Every time a Democrat (and really only a Democrat) proposes some new idea—free college, a giant tax credit for children or the working poor, a large-scale infrastructure program, even a basic income for every American—both Republicans and the media join in unison with the refrain that the country is broke and we just can’t pay for these priorities. Well, Republicans just found the money for $3 trillion in tax cuts for the wealthiest entities in society. Rolling those back to Obama-era levels creates a $3 trillion kitty for liberal initiatives. If you want college for all or universal health care or retirement security for every American, Republicans just carved out a significant path to doing it while satisfying budget rules and quieting the deficit hawks.

I haven’t mentioned the $4.5 trillion in tax increases in the bill. Many of these are regrettable—like new taxes on graduate students and medical expenses—and if included in the final bill they should be reversed. But Republicans had to grab at lots of ideas to finance their giveaways to the rich, and some are worth keeping, like capping the mortgage interest deduction and the deductibility of interest for corporations. You can design a different tax code that is more progressive, tweaking some pieces and retaining others, and still have that $3 trillion to put toward new programs.

In some cases, that might mean higher taxes for non-rich Americans. But if that’s the price for a progressive agenda, it’s a better position than the status quo politically, especially if those non-rich Americans get something tangible for their money. As Business Insider’s Josh Barro explains, “Because the GOP plan expands the base of taxable middle-class income, and because its tax cuts for the rich are so transparently indefensible, it will put Democrats in a better position in the future to argue for taxing the right things at the right rates.” Republicans are doing the dirty work of repealing some deductions, and that money can finally be put to better use.

Virtually every presidential campaign of the past three decades puts out a tax plan. The difference here is that candidates can now focus on that $3 trillion in giveaways to the wealthy, while pocketing the unwise deductions Republicans already swept away. With Republicans slashing taxes so irresponsibly and in such an unpopular manner, the next Democratic leader can simply call to “repeal the Trump tax cuts,” and transfer the windfall to worthwhile initiatives.

Unfortunately, when Democrats get into power they suddenly get cold feet about repealing their predecessors’ bills. Take the Bush tax cuts, which also tilted toward the rich. President Barack Obama and Democrats in Congress had a golden opportunity to repeal those tax cuts twice and put the money toward new priorities. The key provisions were on the verge of expiring in 2010 and 2012. But Democrats first extended them and then made permanent all but the rates at the very top, squandering the opportunity. The inheritance tax today is lower than it was before the Bush plan.