Republicans worry they are running out of time to enact Trump's agenda
House and Senate Republicans are becoming increasingly mired in a stalemate regarding the progression of President Donald Trump’s extensive legislative agenda.
TroibNews 
Congressional Republicans achieved a significant victory by passing a funding bill in the House, but GOP lawmakers are still facing challenges in advancing President Donald Trump’s key legislative priorities.
There has yet to be an agreement between House and Senate Republicans on a budget plan that would serve as the foundation for Trump’s agenda. This has created tension in anticipation of a Thursday meeting between GOP senators and Trump at the White House. Republicans must find common ground on how much to cut spending to offset the cost of their broad funding package that encompasses tax cuts, border security, defense, and energy policy. Additionally, they remain divided on when and how to address the debt ceiling to avoid a potential global economic disaster.
One common concern that unites House and Senate Republicans is their inability to deliver significant legislative victories for the new president.
“I am worried about it,” Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, expressed in an interview.
Speaker Mike Johnson noted this week that there's little opportunity to celebrate the recent funding win after the House passed his stopgap funding bill on Tuesday.
“Everybody says ‘congratulations.’ And they high-five me. And then I go right back to work,” Johnson remarked during a fireside chat at Georgetown University. “This is going to be the heavy lift.”
Growing worries about the legislative path forward highlight that Republicans are on the brink of one of the toughest negotiations in years, with different factions within the party holding conflicting views on fiscal policy and the future of the federal safety net. Currently, Republicans are just starting to work out the details, and Trump himself is not offering much guidance, occasionally adding to the confusion about specifics. The outcome of these discussions will impact significant campaign promises the Trump administration and Republicans made in their effort to regain control of Washington.
“We've confirmed his Cabinet,” noted Hawley. “That's great. But if you look at the legislation …” he trailed off, unable to complete his point.
Senate Finance Committee Republicans hope to resolve the stalemate during their meeting with Trump at the White House on Thursday. Johnson is also seeking to enhance coordination between party leaders and key committee chairs from both chambers once lawmakers return from a scheduled recess later this month.
Such coordination is crucial. Both the House and Senate must agree on and approve the same budget resolution to move forward with legislation related to tax, energy, defense, and border policy through the budget reconciliation process, which allows for party-line voting and bypassing the filibuster.
Behind the scenes, House GOP leaders are frustrated with what they perceive as the Senate's sluggish pace, especially since House Republicans approved their budget plan two weeks ago. To motivate Senate counterparts, Majority Leader Steve Scalise quietly urged GOP committee chairs this week to increase their vocal objections to what he termed an “unacceptable” timeline from the Senate. House GOP leaders were notably concerned when Sen. Thom Tillis from North Carolina, a Finance Committee member, suggested that the reconciliation bill might not be completed until August.
This suggestion raised alarms at the White House, where senior officials have expressed concern that the House’s approach to passing one large bill could delay essential funding for border security and mass deportations. Johnson, who is already facing threats of dissent from the hard-right faction, quickly dismissed the August timeline.
“August is far too late. We’re going to move that ball a lot faster than that,” Johnson stated to reporters on Tuesday.
Instead, he proposed an ambitious schedule, suggesting that the comprehensive bill could be on the House floor before Easter, with the House slated for another two-week break starting April 10.
Senior Republicans expect to hold a type of mini-conference meeting to bridge the gaps between the two chambers’ differing views on reconciliation. Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune are meeting regularly to plot the way forward.
"This is just a long, arduous process, but we'll get there,” Thune remarked later.
However, Thune and Senate Republicans are still navigating complex tax policy discussions and are anticipated to revise the guidelines from the House budget blueprint.
GOP senators are also quietly warning of a looming conflict regarding whether a debt ceiling increase can be included in the massive reconciliation package, as advocated by House Republican leaders and Trump. While senators have been reticent to provide a timeline publicly, they have not definitively ruled out the August possibility.
“I’m for as soon as possible. I visited with the speaker last night. We want to get this done quickly,” said Sen. John Barrasso, the majority whip in the chamber. “But I’m not going to give you a deadline date.”
If the bill's timeline extends into late summer, as Hill Republicans have feared since the beginning of the year, Johnson would face numerous new challenges.
This includes potential backlash from his right flank, who are already frustrated with delays in increased border funding. It would also necessitate Republicans addressing the debt limit outside their reconciliation plans, with the debt ceiling potentially looming as early as this summer.
This scenario presents a politically complicated struggle that Johnson would rather avoid managing.
“It’ll be part of reconciliation,” Johnson commented in a brief interview this week, referring to the debt limit. “So, we pretty well have that covered.”
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
There has yet to be an agreement between House and Senate Republicans on a budget plan that would serve as the foundation for Trump’s agenda. This has created tension in anticipation of a Thursday meeting between GOP senators and Trump at the White House. Republicans must find common ground on how much to cut spending to offset the cost of their broad funding package that encompasses tax cuts, border security, defense, and energy policy. Additionally, they remain divided on when and how to address the debt ceiling to avoid a potential global economic disaster.
One common concern that unites House and Senate Republicans is their inability to deliver significant legislative victories for the new president.
“I am worried about it,” Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, expressed in an interview.
Speaker Mike Johnson noted this week that there's little opportunity to celebrate the recent funding win after the House passed his stopgap funding bill on Tuesday.
“Everybody says ‘congratulations.’ And they high-five me. And then I go right back to work,” Johnson remarked during a fireside chat at Georgetown University. “This is going to be the heavy lift.”
Growing worries about the legislative path forward highlight that Republicans are on the brink of one of the toughest negotiations in years, with different factions within the party holding conflicting views on fiscal policy and the future of the federal safety net. Currently, Republicans are just starting to work out the details, and Trump himself is not offering much guidance, occasionally adding to the confusion about specifics. The outcome of these discussions will impact significant campaign promises the Trump administration and Republicans made in their effort to regain control of Washington.
“We've confirmed his Cabinet,” noted Hawley. “That's great. But if you look at the legislation …” he trailed off, unable to complete his point.
Senate Finance Committee Republicans hope to resolve the stalemate during their meeting with Trump at the White House on Thursday. Johnson is also seeking to enhance coordination between party leaders and key committee chairs from both chambers once lawmakers return from a scheduled recess later this month.
Such coordination is crucial. Both the House and Senate must agree on and approve the same budget resolution to move forward with legislation related to tax, energy, defense, and border policy through the budget reconciliation process, which allows for party-line voting and bypassing the filibuster.
Behind the scenes, House GOP leaders are frustrated with what they perceive as the Senate's sluggish pace, especially since House Republicans approved their budget plan two weeks ago. To motivate Senate counterparts, Majority Leader Steve Scalise quietly urged GOP committee chairs this week to increase their vocal objections to what he termed an “unacceptable” timeline from the Senate. House GOP leaders were notably concerned when Sen. Thom Tillis from North Carolina, a Finance Committee member, suggested that the reconciliation bill might not be completed until August.
This suggestion raised alarms at the White House, where senior officials have expressed concern that the House’s approach to passing one large bill could delay essential funding for border security and mass deportations. Johnson, who is already facing threats of dissent from the hard-right faction, quickly dismissed the August timeline.
“August is far too late. We’re going to move that ball a lot faster than that,” Johnson stated to reporters on Tuesday.
Instead, he proposed an ambitious schedule, suggesting that the comprehensive bill could be on the House floor before Easter, with the House slated for another two-week break starting April 10.
Senior Republicans expect to hold a type of mini-conference meeting to bridge the gaps between the two chambers’ differing views on reconciliation. Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune are meeting regularly to plot the way forward.
"This is just a long, arduous process, but we'll get there,” Thune remarked later.
However, Thune and Senate Republicans are still navigating complex tax policy discussions and are anticipated to revise the guidelines from the House budget blueprint.
GOP senators are also quietly warning of a looming conflict regarding whether a debt ceiling increase can be included in the massive reconciliation package, as advocated by House Republican leaders and Trump. While senators have been reticent to provide a timeline publicly, they have not definitively ruled out the August possibility.
“I’m for as soon as possible. I visited with the speaker last night. We want to get this done quickly,” said Sen. John Barrasso, the majority whip in the chamber. “But I’m not going to give you a deadline date.”
If the bill's timeline extends into late summer, as Hill Republicans have feared since the beginning of the year, Johnson would face numerous new challenges.
This includes potential backlash from his right flank, who are already frustrated with delays in increased border funding. It would also necessitate Republicans addressing the debt limit outside their reconciliation plans, with the debt ceiling potentially looming as early as this summer.
This scenario presents a politically complicated struggle that Johnson would rather avoid managing.
“It’ll be part of reconciliation,” Johnson commented in a brief interview this week, referring to the debt limit. “So, we pretty well have that covered.”
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
