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Washington — The Senate has put forward a budget resolution, which has received endorsement from President Trump and is vital for the continuation of his tax cuts. However, this proposal has faced opposition from several House Republicans who argue that the planned spending cuts are insufficient.
For the president’s agenda to proceed, the House must ratify the resolution passed by the Senate. GOP leaders had anticipated holding the vote this week, but nearly a dozen House Republicans have expressed their discontent or dissatisfaction regarding the $1.5 trillion discrepancy between the House and Senate versions. With a slim GOP majority, Speaker Mike Johnson can afford to lose only three votes.
On Tuesday, President Trump is scheduled to meet with the Republicans who have reservations, as Johnson seeks to persuade them to support the 70-page resolution that outlines Mr. Trump’s priorities in areas including border security, defense, energy, and tax policy. This time, however, Johnson encounters opposition from various factions within the GOP.
If the resolution is not approved this week, House leaders are open to working through the weekend since Congress will be in recess for the next two weeks.
President Trump endorsed the Senate’s budget resolution in a post on Truth Social on Monday night, highlighting that it contains all necessary components to secure the border, implement significant spending cuts, and make tax cuts permanent.
He emphasized, “There is no better time than now to get this Deal DONE!” urging the House to act swiftly on the budget resolution.
The budget resolution marks the beginning of the reconciliation process, which permits Congress to circumvent the 60-vote requirement typically necessary for most Senate legislation.
Adopted by the Senate on Saturday, the compromise resolution came after both chambers advanced their respective budget proposals earlier this year. However, in order to initiate the reconciliation process, both must pass the same budget resolution, leading GOP leaders to collaborate on a unified path forward in recent weeks.
Nonetheless, the resolution fails to resolve ongoing disputes regarding the specifics of spending cuts, which may lead to future confrontations.
Within the resolution, the Senate has established relatively minimal spending cut targets for several committees, around $4 billion, although they anticipate identifying even more substantial cuts. Meanwhile, House plans aim to reduce spending by at least $1.5 trillion. Some House Republicans contend that these proposed cuts lack the depth necessary to address fiscal concerns adequately.
The Senate’s strategy employs a budget scoring approach termed “current policy,” which assumes that extending existing policies incurs no cost. Consequently, the anticipated $3.8 trillion expenditure to maintain Trump tax cuts would not be factored into this calculation. In contrast, the House budget relies on a “current law” baseline and recognizes that extending these tax cuts would indeed impose a cost of $3.8 trillion. Herein lies a significant factor: the 2017 tax cuts are set to expire this year, necessitating action to prevent tax increases for numerous filers.
Despite the challenges, House Republican leaders continue to push forward with the Senate’s adopted plan, holding discussions with skeptical members, while the White House exerts its influence as well. Johnson noted that he met with the House Freedom Caucus, following sentiments expressed by its chairman, Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland, who suggested that the House could advance the president’s initiatives without necessitating the current budget resolution.
Harris asserted, “It needs to at some point in the future. It doesn’t need to be right now.” Similar sentiments were echoed by Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, who recommended delaying a vote this week.
Roy criticized the budget’s potential for increasing deficits, stating, “They literally produced a budget that will have deficits going up. That’s what they did. I didn’t come here to make deficits go up. The Senate apparently did.”
During a news conference on Tuesday morning, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise recognized the obstacles ahead, acknowledging, “nobody said it would be easy.” However, he reaffirmed the commitment to moving forward. Scalise remarked, “There are members that have questions — that’s not a surprise. Our job is to continue answering those questions while moving the ball forward. But it’s critical that we advance this agenda, that we don’t delay, because passing the budget doesn’t end the process; it starts the reconciliation process.”
Johnson highlighted that “the budget resolution is not the law,” explaining that it merely facilitates the progression to drafting legislation that holds tangible impact. He added that adopting the resolution signifies “getting off the sidelines and getting on the field and starting this game,” terming it “the kickoff.”
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