Mike Johnson's budget proposal faces potential failure
The Senate is eager to take action while the speaker faces challenges in bringing House Republicans together.
TroibNews 
After weeks of promising “one big, beautiful bill,” House Republican leaders are facing potential challenges from an unexpected alliance within their party as Speaker Mike Johnson works to promote his plan for implementing President Donald Trump’s extensive domestic agenda.
A revolt among conservative hard-liners has compelled the speaker to abandon his ambitious timeline for advancing the border, energy, and tax bill. In the meantime, Senators are becoming restless over the House's lack of action and are collaborating with Freedom Caucus members to potentially bypass Johnson’s strategy.
“They are trying to jam us,” said one House GOP lawmaker involved in the ongoing talks, referring to the unusual partnership.
The struggle between the two chambers over how to pass a budget plan adds another layer of complexity for Republicans aiming to fulfill Trump’s campaign promises. With trillions of dollars at stake, party leaders are trying to reconcile the stark differences between hard-right fiscal conservatives and swing-district members who are apprehensive about significant cuts, as well as manage tactical conflicts regarding the order in which the legislation should be passed.
Given his narrow majority, Johnson has staunchly defended his approach of consolidating the process into a single bill, aiming to maintain House control over the intricate budget reconciliation framework.
“The Senate will not take the lead,” Johnson told reporters Tuesday. “We’re gonna take the lead.”
However, GOP leaders indicated during private meetings Tuesday that they were still exploring ways to move forward, according to two individuals familiar with the discussions. Johnson did not specify when he anticipated the Budget Committee would advance the reconciliation framework — a milestone he originally hoped to reach within the week — but expressed his intention to update the full House Republican conference on Wednesday morning.
Some House Republicans are now privately conceding that the issues within their ranks may be so entrenched that they might require the Senate to take the lead or for Trump to apply pressure on the dissenters. Johnson plans to discuss the path ahead with Budget Committee members and senior Republicans Tuesday night, according to three sources familiar with the plans.
The situation is “still a giant mess,” said a second Republican lawmaker with direct knowledge of the current impasse.
Several Freedom Caucus members are working behind the scenes with Senate Budget Chair Lindsey Graham as those factions quietly advocate for a two-track alternative to Johnson’s strategy of a single large bill. Several members of the Freedom Caucus are on the House Budget Committee, where Chair Jodey Arrington, a close personal friend of the speaker, has encountered difficulties in maintaining panel unity.
Meanwhile, Senate Republicans have been eager to push forward their preferred two-bill strategy for weeks, believing it would allow the party to achieve a swift victory on border issues while postponing the more challenging tax package for later in the year.
Prominent Republican senators intend to discuss the situation with Trump on Friday during a dinner at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, asserting that the House GOP is unable to move forward with their bill as time constraints become increasingly pressing.
Following the rebellion among Budget Committee hard-liners that disrupted Johnson’s plans late last week, GOP leaders encouraged committee chairs to seek deeper spending offsets across all House committees. This could result in substantial cuts to Medicaid, SNAP food aid benefits, and other essential safety-net programs that some House Republicans may be reluctant to eliminate.
Senior Republicans privately acknowledged that the Ways and Means Committee would need to identify ways to reduce its deficit impact while pursuing expensive tax-cut extensions.
Even with potential additional cuts, it remains uncertain if House Republicans can reach an agreement. Hard-liners are openly advocating for guaranteed cuts amounting to multiple trillions, with some suggesting they might settle for around $1 trillion.
Other House Republicans are expressing concern about what Johnson might propose to the hard-liners in private discussions.
“I expect this to be the main topic of discussion today and tomorrow,” one House GOP lawmaker said Tuesday.
Centrist Republicans from competitive districts have privately indicated their support for new and expanded work requirements on safety net programs for low-income Americans, including Medicaid, food aid, and temporary cash assistance for qualifying families.
However, these vulnerable Republicans are making it clear, given the backlash from hard-liners, that they do not support additional work requirements for parents with children, according to three Republicans with direct knowledge of the conversations. This restriction limits the options available for GOP leaders to generate savings.
With House Republicans at a standstill, several GOP senators cautioned Tuesday that they are prepared to bypass them if the House is unable to chart a course forward on its budget plan in the coming days.
“We were giving the House some space to act, but we’re also prepared to move forward,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who has previously stated that the Senate’s own blueprint is ready and waiting.
When asked if he is ready to proceed ahead of the House, Graham affirmed, “We need to get moving.”
While some Senate Budget members suggested the committee could take action as soon as next week, Graham refrained from providing a specific timeline, issuing only a gentle admonition to the House that he is eager to see progress over the next day or two.
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
A revolt among conservative hard-liners has compelled the speaker to abandon his ambitious timeline for advancing the border, energy, and tax bill. In the meantime, Senators are becoming restless over the House's lack of action and are collaborating with Freedom Caucus members to potentially bypass Johnson’s strategy.
“They are trying to jam us,” said one House GOP lawmaker involved in the ongoing talks, referring to the unusual partnership.
The struggle between the two chambers over how to pass a budget plan adds another layer of complexity for Republicans aiming to fulfill Trump’s campaign promises. With trillions of dollars at stake, party leaders are trying to reconcile the stark differences between hard-right fiscal conservatives and swing-district members who are apprehensive about significant cuts, as well as manage tactical conflicts regarding the order in which the legislation should be passed.
Given his narrow majority, Johnson has staunchly defended his approach of consolidating the process into a single bill, aiming to maintain House control over the intricate budget reconciliation framework.
“The Senate will not take the lead,” Johnson told reporters Tuesday. “We’re gonna take the lead.”
However, GOP leaders indicated during private meetings Tuesday that they were still exploring ways to move forward, according to two individuals familiar with the discussions. Johnson did not specify when he anticipated the Budget Committee would advance the reconciliation framework — a milestone he originally hoped to reach within the week — but expressed his intention to update the full House Republican conference on Wednesday morning.
Some House Republicans are now privately conceding that the issues within their ranks may be so entrenched that they might require the Senate to take the lead or for Trump to apply pressure on the dissenters. Johnson plans to discuss the path ahead with Budget Committee members and senior Republicans Tuesday night, according to three sources familiar with the plans.
The situation is “still a giant mess,” said a second Republican lawmaker with direct knowledge of the current impasse.
Several Freedom Caucus members are working behind the scenes with Senate Budget Chair Lindsey Graham as those factions quietly advocate for a two-track alternative to Johnson’s strategy of a single large bill. Several members of the Freedom Caucus are on the House Budget Committee, where Chair Jodey Arrington, a close personal friend of the speaker, has encountered difficulties in maintaining panel unity.
Meanwhile, Senate Republicans have been eager to push forward their preferred two-bill strategy for weeks, believing it would allow the party to achieve a swift victory on border issues while postponing the more challenging tax package for later in the year.
Prominent Republican senators intend to discuss the situation with Trump on Friday during a dinner at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, asserting that the House GOP is unable to move forward with their bill as time constraints become increasingly pressing.
Following the rebellion among Budget Committee hard-liners that disrupted Johnson’s plans late last week, GOP leaders encouraged committee chairs to seek deeper spending offsets across all House committees. This could result in substantial cuts to Medicaid, SNAP food aid benefits, and other essential safety-net programs that some House Republicans may be reluctant to eliminate.
Senior Republicans privately acknowledged that the Ways and Means Committee would need to identify ways to reduce its deficit impact while pursuing expensive tax-cut extensions.
Even with potential additional cuts, it remains uncertain if House Republicans can reach an agreement. Hard-liners are openly advocating for guaranteed cuts amounting to multiple trillions, with some suggesting they might settle for around $1 trillion.
Other House Republicans are expressing concern about what Johnson might propose to the hard-liners in private discussions.
“I expect this to be the main topic of discussion today and tomorrow,” one House GOP lawmaker said Tuesday.
Centrist Republicans from competitive districts have privately indicated their support for new and expanded work requirements on safety net programs for low-income Americans, including Medicaid, food aid, and temporary cash assistance for qualifying families.
However, these vulnerable Republicans are making it clear, given the backlash from hard-liners, that they do not support additional work requirements for parents with children, according to three Republicans with direct knowledge of the conversations. This restriction limits the options available for GOP leaders to generate savings.
With House Republicans at a standstill, several GOP senators cautioned Tuesday that they are prepared to bypass them if the House is unable to chart a course forward on its budget plan in the coming days.
“We were giving the House some space to act, but we’re also prepared to move forward,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who has previously stated that the Senate’s own blueprint is ready and waiting.
When asked if he is ready to proceed ahead of the House, Graham affirmed, “We need to get moving.”
While some Senate Budget members suggested the committee could take action as soon as next week, Graham refrained from providing a specific timeline, issuing only a gentle admonition to the House that he is eager to see progress over the next day or two.
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
