Trump outlines his expensive priorities for Congress
The president focused more on demands than on procedural details in his address to House Republicans on Monday.
TroibNews 
DORAL, Florida — On Monday, President Donald Trump did not provide House Republicans with new direction on implementing his extensive legislative agenda, but he did lay out a lengthy list of essential priorities.
At the annual House GOP policy retreat held at his Miami-area resort, Trump articulated crucial requirements for Speaker Mike Johnson as congressional Republicans prepare to advance a significant, party-line domestic policy bill that they aim to pass within months.
Most of these requirements are expensive, complicating the task for GOP leaders to find equivalent spending cuts to balance them.
For example, Trump proposed several costly immigration policy measures, including a “massive increase” in detention beds, more resources for ICE to enhance deportation efforts, “full” funding for border security, and completion of the southern border wall.
On tax policy, Trump's ambitions were even broader. Reaffirming his demands from a recent White House meeting, he reiterated his campaign promises to not only extend the 2017 tax cuts but also to eliminate income taxes on tips, Social Security benefits, and overtime earnings.
What he did not clarify was how congressional leaders should move forward to enact these policies. Differences between House and Senate leaders persist over whether to consolidate all priorities into a single bill or divide them between two; however, Johnson appears inclined towards a one-bill approach.
“We don’t want to get hung up on the budget process … whether it’s one bill, two bills, I don’t care,” Trump stated. “Let these guys … they’re going to work it out one way or the other.”
Privately, House Republicans express concerns over the price tag for Trump's proposals, with some estimating the total could reach $10 trillion. While border security measures enjoy broad support, Johnson’s more conservative members insist that any new spending must be offset by significant cuts elsewhere.
Some GOP members are skeptical about how to finance other Trump proposals, including his push to eliminate taxes on tips. House GOP chairs and leaders are expected to discuss potential spending cuts in greater detail during closed-door meetings at the retreat on Tuesday.
On Monday night, Trump explicitly stated his opposition to any cuts affecting Medicare or Social Security; a list of potential cuts that had been circulated by House Republicans targets Medicaid, food assistance, and other safety-net programs instead.
GOP leaders are also considering strategies to offset some border security expenses by raising fees for migrants seeking asylum and reducing certain social services for newcomers. However, even with these measures, the bill is unlikely to be entirely funded.
Notably, Trump dedicated a significant part of his approximately 50-minute address to discussing his intention to impose new tariffs. He specifically mentioned Mexico and Canada as key targets for these tariffs, having threatened to implement broad 25 percent tariffs on both countries starting February 1.
“We are going to protect our people and our businesses, and we are going to protect our country with tariffs — and you got a little indication of that yesterday,” Trump remarked, referring to his Sunday threats following Colombia’s refusal to accept migrant repatriation flights.
Unity emerged as another central theme of his speech. Facing slim majorities in both chambers, Trump and GOP congressional leaders confront a challenging battle to pass any legislation, let alone the large-scale, party-line bill they are proposing.
The president urged the gathered Republicans to “make life easy” and align behind party leadership.
“The Republican party has to stick together,” he emphasized. “It would be different if we had ... a 30-person majority, but we don't. … Right now we have a very special period because we have the House, we have the Senate, and we have the White House. And we're a team. And we're a really good team.”
Trump also mentioned that he has raised “a lot of money” intended for deployment ahead of the 2026 midterms, benefiting both House and Senate races.
Throughout his address, Trump recognized various lawmakers in attendance, offering praise for Speaker Mike Johnson, calling him “a high quality person, very religious person,” and expressing respect for Whip Tom Emmer.
Regarding Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who survived a 2017 assassination attempt, Trump humorously noted: “He looks better today than he did 10 years ago.”
He also acknowledged a significant ally, House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, who was positioned in the back of the crowd.
“Not a great seat for a man of such power,” Trump joked before commenting on Jordan's frequent appearances supporting him on cable television: "What's not to like? He gets on television, he's like a wrestler: He’s got this boom, boom, boom, boom. It’s very impressive.”
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
At the annual House GOP policy retreat held at his Miami-area resort, Trump articulated crucial requirements for Speaker Mike Johnson as congressional Republicans prepare to advance a significant, party-line domestic policy bill that they aim to pass within months.
Most of these requirements are expensive, complicating the task for GOP leaders to find equivalent spending cuts to balance them.
For example, Trump proposed several costly immigration policy measures, including a “massive increase” in detention beds, more resources for ICE to enhance deportation efforts, “full” funding for border security, and completion of the southern border wall.
On tax policy, Trump's ambitions were even broader. Reaffirming his demands from a recent White House meeting, he reiterated his campaign promises to not only extend the 2017 tax cuts but also to eliminate income taxes on tips, Social Security benefits, and overtime earnings.
What he did not clarify was how congressional leaders should move forward to enact these policies. Differences between House and Senate leaders persist over whether to consolidate all priorities into a single bill or divide them between two; however, Johnson appears inclined towards a one-bill approach.
“We don’t want to get hung up on the budget process … whether it’s one bill, two bills, I don’t care,” Trump stated. “Let these guys … they’re going to work it out one way or the other.”
Privately, House Republicans express concerns over the price tag for Trump's proposals, with some estimating the total could reach $10 trillion. While border security measures enjoy broad support, Johnson’s more conservative members insist that any new spending must be offset by significant cuts elsewhere.
Some GOP members are skeptical about how to finance other Trump proposals, including his push to eliminate taxes on tips. House GOP chairs and leaders are expected to discuss potential spending cuts in greater detail during closed-door meetings at the retreat on Tuesday.
On Monday night, Trump explicitly stated his opposition to any cuts affecting Medicare or Social Security; a list of potential cuts that had been circulated by House Republicans targets Medicaid, food assistance, and other safety-net programs instead.
GOP leaders are also considering strategies to offset some border security expenses by raising fees for migrants seeking asylum and reducing certain social services for newcomers. However, even with these measures, the bill is unlikely to be entirely funded.
Notably, Trump dedicated a significant part of his approximately 50-minute address to discussing his intention to impose new tariffs. He specifically mentioned Mexico and Canada as key targets for these tariffs, having threatened to implement broad 25 percent tariffs on both countries starting February 1.
“We are going to protect our people and our businesses, and we are going to protect our country with tariffs — and you got a little indication of that yesterday,” Trump remarked, referring to his Sunday threats following Colombia’s refusal to accept migrant repatriation flights.
Unity emerged as another central theme of his speech. Facing slim majorities in both chambers, Trump and GOP congressional leaders confront a challenging battle to pass any legislation, let alone the large-scale, party-line bill they are proposing.
The president urged the gathered Republicans to “make life easy” and align behind party leadership.
“The Republican party has to stick together,” he emphasized. “It would be different if we had ... a 30-person majority, but we don't. … Right now we have a very special period because we have the House, we have the Senate, and we have the White House. And we're a team. And we're a really good team.”
Trump also mentioned that he has raised “a lot of money” intended for deployment ahead of the 2026 midterms, benefiting both House and Senate races.
Throughout his address, Trump recognized various lawmakers in attendance, offering praise for Speaker Mike Johnson, calling him “a high quality person, very religious person,” and expressing respect for Whip Tom Emmer.
Regarding Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who survived a 2017 assassination attempt, Trump humorously noted: “He looks better today than he did 10 years ago.”
He also acknowledged a significant ally, House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, who was positioned in the back of the crowd.
“Not a great seat for a man of such power,” Trump joked before commenting on Jordan's frequent appearances supporting him on cable television: "What's not to like? He gets on television, he's like a wrestler: He’s got this boom, boom, boom, boom. It’s very impressive.”
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
