‘We’re running out of time’: GOP growing impatient with Trump’s legislative agenda on the Hill
Major victories seem distant as Republicans assume leadership in Washington.
TroibNews 
Welcome to the Washington trifecta, Republicans. Now prepare for a wait.
As the GOP assumes unified control of the House, Senate, and White House on Monday, congressional leaders are confronting uncertainties about how swiftly they can enact major victories for Donald Trump. Their legislative roadmap remains unsettled, and the clock is ticking toward potential conflicts over federal spending and the debt ceiling.
When it comes to the core of Trump’s agenda—a broad effort related to border, energy, and tax policy—significant strategic questions remain unresolved. Once a consensus on the general direction is reached, leaders will face complex intra-party conflicts regarding specific policies.
Speaker Mike Johnson has proposed an ambitious timeline, suggesting that it won’t be until Memorial Day that a key bill reaches Trump’s desk. Skeptical Senate Republicans are preparing their own diverging plans in case the House struggles.
“Everybody is feeling the pressure now of time,” noted Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, a member of the hard-right Freedom Caucus advocating for more prompt action. “In a short period, we’ve got to make something happen.”
There are some smaller victories on the horizon. With some cooperation from Democrats in the Senate, Republicans anticipate sending a relatively modest immigration bill to Trump this week. Named after a Georgia nursing student murdered last year, the Laken Riley Act would mandate broader incarcerations of undocumented immigrants accused of crimes. However, it represents only a fraction of Trump’s immigration policy vision.
To maintain activity in the House during the initial weeks, Johnson is eyeing bills on abortion and public safety that are likely to face filibusters in the Senate. He is also planning to advance a bipartisan forestry and wildfire prevention bill this week, with additional aid for the wildfires currently affecting California unlikely to be passed until at least March.
The Senate will focus on confirming Trump’s Cabinet and other nominees, while both chambers aim to utilize Congressional Review Act powers to overturn significant Biden administration regulations, a move GOP leaders believe will help soothe restless conservatives.
However, a major distraction looms: a March 14 deadline for government funding, which could lead to a government shutdown if Trump and Republicans fail to broker a deal with congressional Democrats, who still retain leverage through the Senate filibuster.
Johnson is proceeding cautiously with discussions about spending and party-line agenda matters, aiming to align closely with Trump—who previously disrupted a spending agreement Johnson reached with Democrats in December. This time, Johnson seeks Trump’s approval on essential details tied to both initiatives, according to two individuals granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. Still, it remains uncertain whether that agreement will materialize.
Meanwhile, committee chairs tasked with drafting the necessary legislation are growing impatient. “We’re running out of time,” expressed House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole, who is still awaiting top-line discretionary spending targets.
Addressing some of these pending questions is likely to be a focus of a high-level meeting between Trump and congressional leaders on Tuesday. Impatience has become a recurring theme in interbranch relations: In a series of Capitol Hill meetings last week, Trump policy chief Stephen Miller conveyed the president-elect’s desire for “immediacy” in advancing his legislative agenda.
The pressure is equally intense within the House, where Norman and his fellow Freedom Caucus members are advocating for a two-track approach to the party-line agenda, contradicting Johnson’s strategy.
They favor a smaller, border-focused package first that includes a debt limit increase and spending reductions. This approach starkly contrasts with Johnson’s current trajectory—a single, large bill that includes tax reform while deferring a debt limit increase for bipartisan negotiations over government funding.
A “key benefit” mentioned in the Freedom Caucus plan is: “Speed to deliver huge early wins on key priorities for President Trump.”
Fearing that fragmenting the bills could hinder passage, Johnson attempted to quell the dissent by presenting an aggressive timeline for advancing the expansive megabill during a closed-door conference meeting last week.
The timeline was a positive step, said one GOP lawmaker after leaving the meeting. “But at the end of the day, we need to know the plan,” the member remarked.
In addition, the speaker has initiated a listening tour, engaging with numerous members about their thoughts on proposed trillions in highly controversial spending reductions. GOP Whip Tom Emmer has organized small working groups to address members’ differing demands.
Meanwhile, leaders from both chambers are counting on Trump to stabilize the situation with a series of executive orders on his first day, many of which are anticipated to address immigration and reverse Biden-era climate and pandemic policies. They hope these moves will mitigate pressure from hard-liners advocating for immediate and sweeping legislative changes at the border.
“I expect the president’s going to develop hand cramps signing executive orders,” remarked Sen. John Kennedy. “And that will demonstrate meaningful progress.”
However, many senators are still advocating for their own two-track strategy—most notably Budget Chair Lindsey Graham, who is preparing a border-first budget proposal to present to the House, should Johnson fail to adhere to a tight timeline.
Sen. Ted Budd, who participated in a meeting with Miller and House Republicans last week, stated that Trump’s early immigration executive orders would be “a good start” but added they are “not permanent,” emphasizing the Republican desire to “codify” those executive actions into law—swiftly.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
As the GOP assumes unified control of the House, Senate, and White House on Monday, congressional leaders are confronting uncertainties about how swiftly they can enact major victories for Donald Trump. Their legislative roadmap remains unsettled, and the clock is ticking toward potential conflicts over federal spending and the debt ceiling.
When it comes to the core of Trump’s agenda—a broad effort related to border, energy, and tax policy—significant strategic questions remain unresolved. Once a consensus on the general direction is reached, leaders will face complex intra-party conflicts regarding specific policies.
Speaker Mike Johnson has proposed an ambitious timeline, suggesting that it won’t be until Memorial Day that a key bill reaches Trump’s desk. Skeptical Senate Republicans are preparing their own diverging plans in case the House struggles.
“Everybody is feeling the pressure now of time,” noted Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, a member of the hard-right Freedom Caucus advocating for more prompt action. “In a short period, we’ve got to make something happen.”
There are some smaller victories on the horizon. With some cooperation from Democrats in the Senate, Republicans anticipate sending a relatively modest immigration bill to Trump this week. Named after a Georgia nursing student murdered last year, the Laken Riley Act would mandate broader incarcerations of undocumented immigrants accused of crimes. However, it represents only a fraction of Trump’s immigration policy vision.
To maintain activity in the House during the initial weeks, Johnson is eyeing bills on abortion and public safety that are likely to face filibusters in the Senate. He is also planning to advance a bipartisan forestry and wildfire prevention bill this week, with additional aid for the wildfires currently affecting California unlikely to be passed until at least March.
The Senate will focus on confirming Trump’s Cabinet and other nominees, while both chambers aim to utilize Congressional Review Act powers to overturn significant Biden administration regulations, a move GOP leaders believe will help soothe restless conservatives.
However, a major distraction looms: a March 14 deadline for government funding, which could lead to a government shutdown if Trump and Republicans fail to broker a deal with congressional Democrats, who still retain leverage through the Senate filibuster.
Johnson is proceeding cautiously with discussions about spending and party-line agenda matters, aiming to align closely with Trump—who previously disrupted a spending agreement Johnson reached with Democrats in December. This time, Johnson seeks Trump’s approval on essential details tied to both initiatives, according to two individuals granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. Still, it remains uncertain whether that agreement will materialize.
Meanwhile, committee chairs tasked with drafting the necessary legislation are growing impatient. “We’re running out of time,” expressed House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole, who is still awaiting top-line discretionary spending targets.
Addressing some of these pending questions is likely to be a focus of a high-level meeting between Trump and congressional leaders on Tuesday. Impatience has become a recurring theme in interbranch relations: In a series of Capitol Hill meetings last week, Trump policy chief Stephen Miller conveyed the president-elect’s desire for “immediacy” in advancing his legislative agenda.
The pressure is equally intense within the House, where Norman and his fellow Freedom Caucus members are advocating for a two-track approach to the party-line agenda, contradicting Johnson’s strategy.
They favor a smaller, border-focused package first that includes a debt limit increase and spending reductions. This approach starkly contrasts with Johnson’s current trajectory—a single, large bill that includes tax reform while deferring a debt limit increase for bipartisan negotiations over government funding.
A “key benefit” mentioned in the Freedom Caucus plan is: “Speed to deliver huge early wins on key priorities for President Trump.”
Fearing that fragmenting the bills could hinder passage, Johnson attempted to quell the dissent by presenting an aggressive timeline for advancing the expansive megabill during a closed-door conference meeting last week.
The timeline was a positive step, said one GOP lawmaker after leaving the meeting. “But at the end of the day, we need to know the plan,” the member remarked.
In addition, the speaker has initiated a listening tour, engaging with numerous members about their thoughts on proposed trillions in highly controversial spending reductions. GOP Whip Tom Emmer has organized small working groups to address members’ differing demands.
Meanwhile, leaders from both chambers are counting on Trump to stabilize the situation with a series of executive orders on his first day, many of which are anticipated to address immigration and reverse Biden-era climate and pandemic policies. They hope these moves will mitigate pressure from hard-liners advocating for immediate and sweeping legislative changes at the border.
“I expect the president’s going to develop hand cramps signing executive orders,” remarked Sen. John Kennedy. “And that will demonstrate meaningful progress.”
However, many senators are still advocating for their own two-track strategy—most notably Budget Chair Lindsey Graham, who is preparing a border-first budget proposal to present to the House, should Johnson fail to adhere to a tight timeline.
Sen. Ted Budd, who participated in a meeting with Miller and House Republicans last week, stated that Trump’s early immigration executive orders would be “a good start” but added they are “not permanent,” emphasizing the Republican desire to “codify” those executive actions into law—swiftly.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
