President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson tried to quell a rebellion Tuesday among fiscal conservatives in the Republican conference who are withholding support for the Senate-passed budget framework needed to enact Trump’s agenda centered on tax cuts. But the pressure campaign by the president and speaker has so far failed to line up the necessary votes, leaving Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” stalled.
Johnson and Trump met with some of the holdouts at the White House Tuesday as the Republican leaders work to pass the budget resolution this week, before lawmakers leave Thursday for a scheduled two-week recess. Some of Johnson’s members have refused to back the Senate-approved plan out of concern that the resulting legislation won’t meet their demands for steep spending cuts.
The House version of the budget plan calls for $1.5 trillion or more in spending reductions over 10 years to help offset $4.5 trillion or more in tax cuts. The Senate instructions require only a minimum of $4 billion in reduced spending, though Republican leaders insist the final number will be far higher. Johnson has urged his members to approve the Senate-passed outline so that negotiations can proceed on the legislation detailing tax and spending changes.
A lack of trust among Republicans: House holdouts reportedly don’t trust the Senate to deliver as much as $2 trillion in cuts — or don’t believe that Johnson can win such concessions. The House formula is likely to require steep cuts to Medicaid, which some Republicans have balked at backing. Fiscal hawks are demanding firm commitments for spending cuts on the Senate side. In all, “several dozen” Republicans reportedly are threatening to vote against the Senate-passed plan.
“They are fine saying that there are unlimited tax cuts, but they are unwilling to say they will do spending cuts,” Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, a leader of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, told reporters. “The Senate has produced a budget that is phony math, and I’m not going to support it.”
Another Freedom Caucus member, Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, told reporters: “The trustworthiness of the Senate is suspect.”
A test for Trump: Trump on Monday evening publicly called on lawmakers to back the Senate plan. “The Budget Plan just passed by the United States Senate has my Complete and Total Endorsement and Support. All of the elements we need to secure the Border, enact Historic Spending Cuts, and make Tax Cuts PERMANENT, and much more, are strongly covered and represented in the Bill,” he wrote on social media. “THE HOUSE MUST PASS THIS BUDGET RESOLUTION, AND QUICKLY — MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
The president spoke privately with holdouts Tuesday, and he reportedly said he would push the Senate for steeper spending cuts. After the White House meeting, Johnson told reporters that he thought Trump had changed some minds. "I think we'll be moving forward this week," he said.
But a vote that had tentatively been planned for Wednesday is now uncertain. “I would be surprised if it comes to the floor,” Rep. Andy Ogles said, according to The Hill. “There’s so many ‘no’ votes. It’s 30, 40. And what typically happens in this type of scenario, when you hit a critical mass, suddenly more people go ahead and vote their conscience. And so 30 can easily become 50.”
Jeffries challenges Johnson to debate: As Republicans look for a path forward, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries formally challenged Johnson to a “one-on-one debate” on Wednesday over the GOP budget resolution. Jeffries and Democrats have been arguing that the Republican plan would cut Medicaid, food stamps and other benefits to help pay for tax breaks for the wealthy.
“The American people deserve to know the truth,” Jeffries wrote in a letter to the speaker. “I look forward to a one-on-one debate with you on the House Floor to fully and transparently explain and defend our differing budget values to the American people.”
It might happen; Johnson told reporters he’s happy to debate Jeffries anytime.
The bottom line: Amid the economic turmoil spurred by Trump’s trade war, Republican leaders are eager to show progress on their agenda, but their budget resolution is still in limbo.