President-elect Donald Trump and Republican colleagues in Congress are set to begin discussions on Wednesday about enacting tax cuts, border controls, and increased fossil fuel production in a divided U.S. Congress. With narrow majorities in both the Senate and House of Representatives, Republicans are debating whether to pursue a single bill encompassing Trump’s priorities or split them into two separate bills due to differing views on the legislation content.
Some Senate Republicans suggest dividing Trump’s agenda into two bills to quickly achieve success on border and energy policies before addressing tax issues. However, some House Republicans are concerned that this two-step approach could lead to failure in passing the second bill regarding Trump’s tax cuts due to their slim majority. President Trump had to step in last week during a House speaker vote to ensure support from hardline Republican opponents through negotiations and his intervention.
Trump will meet with Senate Republicans on Wednesday evening and attend the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter in Washington on Thursday. He will then hold meetings with House Republicans at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida over the weekend. Republicans plan to use a legislative tactic to bypass Senate Democratic opposition and pass Trump’s agenda because of their narrow majority in the Senate.
Trump has been uncertain about whether he prefers one bill or two, causing confusion among lawmakers. On Tuesday, he expressed the need for Congress to extend the federal borrowing limit to avoid a default on the U.S. debt. Lawmakers are looking to Trump for guidance on the legislative direction needed to move forward successfully.
Meetings are scheduled for Friday with the House Freedom Caucus and committee chairs to discuss the agenda further. Representatives are hoping to gain clarity from Trump on his priorities to navigate the legislative path effectively.
“What I’m going to ask President Trump is, if you’re going to raise the debt ceiling, let’s raise the dollar of legitimate cuts that we can allow,” Norman said without providing details. “We’ve got such an opportunity,” he added. But some Republicans cautioned that Trump could overplay his hand if he takes too strong a role in legislative negotiations. “We’re independent. I mean, we’re a co-equal branch of government. Sometimes we forget that the president doesn’t rule over the Senate and the House. I think that was the mistake that he learned the first time,” said Representative Kevin Hern, who chairs the conservative Republican Study Group. Hern said he will be among lawmakers who meet with Trump on Sunday. (Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Scott Malone and Howard Goller)
