Republicans on collision course as lawmakers proceed with competing spending packages

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Republicans on collision course as lawmakers proceed with competing spending packages

WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans are at a crossroads as they look to advance President Donald Trump’s agenda, with House and Senate leaders setting themselves on a collision course as they work to quickly pass a budget resolution before the end of the month.

The House Budget Committee will move forward with its own budget reconciliation package despite Senate Republicans announcing last week they would no longer wait for the lower chamber to negotiate an agreement. Although the details have not been finalized, House Republicans say they will craft one massive reconciliation bill combining all of Trump’s priorities, breaking with Senate leaders who have been pushing to split the package into two parts.

“We’re getting close,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told reporters on Tuesday.

The House Budget Committee is scheduled to mark up a resolution on Thursday morning, according to a notice sent out by the panel, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said details of the package could be released as early as Tuesday night. Topline numbers are not yet agreed to but the bill is expected to encompass border security, defense spending and an extension of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts.

Meanwhile, the Senate Budget Committee is slated to meet on Wednesday and Thursday to mark up a budget resolution that would only focus on the southern border and national defense — leaving the more complex tax policies for later.

“We’ll move forward with a budget resolution that will address many of the topics that we think are an immediate concern of the American people and priorities of President Trump and his administration,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said on Tuesday. “Starting with securing our southern border. We desperately need resources.”

From there, the race is on. House lawmakers are scheduled to recess next week, giving the Senate a head start to move its bill through the chamber.

Senate gets head start, but House won’t play ball

Even if the Senate manages to get its budget resolution passed before the House, it’s unlikely House GOP leaders will feel pressured to take it up.

“I’m afraid it’s a nonstarter over here,” Johnson told reporters on Tuesday. “We all are trying to get to the same achievable objectives, and there’s just, you know, different ideas on how to get there.”

Scalise also said the House wouldn’t consider the bill, arguing that the “House’s bill addresses all of President Trump’s priorities and it’s the only legislation that does that.”

Even some of the most stubborn hardliners in the House have pushed against letting the Senate go first, citing the House’s responsibility over the power of the purse.

“It needs to come from the House,” said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., who has pushed for deeper spending cuts in the reconciliation package, partially causing the delay.

“We’ll see what happens,” said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who is also pushing for steeper cuts.

But not all Republicans are on the same page — especially as some members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus have called for their own two-bill strategy.

“If the Senate moves on a priority, especially when concerning border security, defense resources that we need, then I think the responsible thing is to put that up, get that voted on, and then we continue our conversations around tax policy,” said Florida Rep. Byron Donalds.

Senate adamant to move full steam ahead, presses House to get on board

Even with the House threatening to leave the Senate bill in the dust, Senate Budget Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters on Tuesday he would move forward with the border reconciliation bill — pleading with his House colleagues to get on board.

“I’m a huge fan and nothing would please me more than one big beautiful bill passed by the House that we did all the things we need to do to make us prosperous and safe,” Graham said. “That is my preference. Now what guides my thinking is the problem we have now: We’re running out of money.”

“To my friends in the House: We’re moving because we have to. I wish you the best,” he added. “I want one big beautiful bill. But I will not and cannot go back to South Carolina and justify not supporting the president’s immigration plan.”

But even with the Senate’s plea, House Republicans appear unfazed.

“We’re not focused on the Senate,” House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, said on Tuesday, brushing off questions about the upper chamber’s progress.

Topline numbers remain up in the air

One thing the diverging plans have in common: Specific details on a topline number and how much spending will be cut.

The Senate budget resolution proposes $342 billion over the next four years to go toward the southern border, military spending and domestic energy. Once the upper chamber begins its markup, it will then instruct Senate committees to “find offsets” that will pay for the entire plan, Graham said.

Meanwhile, the House is still working to negotiate its own topline number and negotiate a spending cuts number. While GOP leadership has been pushing forward with a baseline of roughly $1.5 trillion in cuts, some hardliners in the House are pushing for at least $2 trillion — with some even suggesting $2.5 trillion.

While leadership works to finalize that agreement, some House Republicans are expressing skepticism about whether the deep spending cut level they are seeking will be met.

“They want to come out with low numbers on the base, on the threshold. They want to have flexibility. And they’re asking us to trust them, that they’re going to cut spending that’s necessary,” said Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., a member of the Freedom Caucus. “The problem, for me at least, is that I’ve heard ‘Trust me’ before — and have been disappointed.”

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