WASHINGTON—In response to President-elect Donald Trump’s demand that his program be passed in a single, stunning measure, House Speaker Mike Johnson is outlining a very ambitious plan that will put his razor-thin Republican majority to the test.
Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, stated on Sunday that the party-line plan will have issues pertaining to manufacturing, energy, taxation, and border security. In addition, he demanded that the package be passed out of the House as early as the first week of April and that the debt ceiling be extended.
For a slim House majority of 219–215, which is predicted to get much smaller in the upcoming months as two GOP lawmakers step down to join the Trump administration, that is an extraordinarily high order. Johnson will then be unable to lose a single vote until the seats are filled without the assistance of Democrats.
Republicans intend to enact the huge Trump agenda package through the budget reconciliation procedure. This enables them to avoid the 60-vote requirement in the Senate, where Republicans command 53 members, and to exclude Democrats from the process following a tiebreaking vote by incoming Vice President JD Vance on January 20.
One bill or two?
Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and other important senators have been pushing to split it into two pieces so that Republicans can quickly win a border funding triumph and take their time crafting a second tax bill.
Trump and Johnson, however, claim they would rather have a single package.
One bill has been the House’s plan. In light of that, we convened for two full days over the weekend to talk and plan. “So, that’s our current assumption,” Johnson told reporters on Monday. The Senate views reconciliation and the best course of action somewhat differently than the House does. And that’s okay; it’s a necessary step in this process.
“We will complete this mission,” he declared.
The more challenging request is to extend Trump’s tax cuts, which total trillions of dollars and expire at the end of this year, Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told NBC News.
We will need to put in a lot of effort if we want to include the tax component in the first bill. Kennedy stated Monday before Congress validated Trump’s election victory, “Because that’s going to be, obviously, the most complicated part.” Ironically, we’re likely to find that the immigration and border security issues will be the simplest to resolve.
According to two people familiar with the preparations, House and Senate Republicans will put a number of immigration and border security proposals up for votes in the upcoming weeks in an effort to satisfy members and Trump supporters who want to address the border right away.
Kennedy stated, “We have six months to a year to show the American people that we are going to bring about change.” To be honest, I can teach that round or flat, regardless of whether you do it in one or two bills. Both have their benefits and drawbacks.
A one-bill approach was cautioned against by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the chair of the Budget Committee, which would supervise the Senate process.
“I’m really concerned,” he remarked on Fox News on Sunday. It will be a nightmare for our national security if we don’t prioritize and finish the border. You are playing Russian roulette with our national security if you hold border security hostage in order to receive tax cuts.
When asked about one vs two measures on Monday, Thune also offered his opinion, stating that Republicans are deciding how to move forward.
He told reporters that the outcomes are far more significant than the process problems.
Trump’s preference for a single measure, according to House Ways & implies Committee Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo., implies the discussion is over.
He stated that the House is working on a single bill. The decision has been made.
Limitations on the bill
The package must adhere to stringent guidelines and be restricted to issues pertaining to taxation and spending because of the 50-vote reconciliation process. Senators from either party may contest portions of a reconciliation package that don’t fit those requirements under what is known as the Byrd Rule (named for the late Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va.). The Senate lawmaker has to decide if those clauses are actually about taxes and spending; if not, they are removed.
Even some conservative rank-and-file Republicans have already stated that they would rather not overturn the lawmaker, which is the only way to avert it.
Sen. Ron Johnson, a Trump ally, stated last month that Republicans don’t need to alter policy to accomplish their objectives on the border, saying, “We’re pretty committed to preserving the filibuster, and that’s kind of blowing up the filibuster.”
Johnson’s request to use the party-line bill to raise the debt ceiling is a significant difficulty because Congress must do so this year to avoid a disastrous default on U.S. debt. Johnson’s majority has numerous members who have never voted to extend the nation’s borrowing limit, and many Republicans detest dealing with the subject, which typically requires Democratic votes.
I’m not sure how much or when he’s referring to, but you need to make significant cuts if you want to raise the debt ceiling. That’s all. Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican from Texas, stated in an interview on Monday that it’s that easy.
We’re terrible at cutting. He stated, “I’d freaking throw a God-darn parade if we could cut 12 cents,” but he later clarified that he was joking about the latter.
Roy refused to specify a monetary value. We require substantial, meaningful savings. He made it apparent that we must reduce deficits by saying, “I wouldn’t want to pre-negotiate that.”
He went on to say that achieving deficit neutrality is the goal of reconciliation.
It will be extremely challenging to accomplish that under a plan that will certainly prolong the 2017 Trump tax cuts before they expire at the end of this year, adding trillions of dollars to the long-term debt. Additionally, Trump is urging Congress to include his proposal to eliminate tip taxes, which is expected to raise the package’s cost.
Republicans may also run into other possible annoyances. A large bundle defies the GOP’s insistence that legislation be passed in smaller, single-subject bills. Additionally, a project of this size would need to be discussed by party leaders, which usually irritates conservatives who believe that committee-level legislation should be created from the ground up.
Trump demanded that Congress pass a single, potent bill to further his agenda in a Truth Social post on Sunday night. However, he left the two-bill option open on Monday’s Hugh Hewitt radio show, stating that he recognizes its benefits.
I support one bill. Additionally, I wish to pass everything. Additionally, there are certain people who may not agree with it. Trump stated, “I’m open to that as well.” As I say, I would rather have one large, lovely bill. Now, it takes longer to achieve that. Actually, it takes longer to submit it. It’s a lengthier process, though. I think I could live with that. In my opinion, it is just cleaner. It’s better. Having said that, we would finish certain border work a little sooner, and so forth.
Kennedy stated that Trump and the Republicans must decide on the matter immediately and begin working.
All I want to know is the president’s opinion. All I want is an agreement. He reiterated, “I’m not married to one bill or two bills.” All we need to do, in my opinion, is gather in one place and decide on a strategy. And while some may be joyful, others will be depressed. Because certain members of the Senate have strong opinions that we should divide them up. However, I also comprehend the House’s stance. With a phone call, we can likely resolve a lot of things with the president.
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