“House Republicans Proceed with Budget Vote Amid Standoff with Holdout Conservatives”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, from Louisiana, addressed reporters at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday. Despite resistance from a group of hard-line conservatives, House Republican leaders are moving ahead with a planned vote on a new budget proposal aimed at kickstarting President Donald Trump’s ambitious legislative plans.
The House is expected to vote on the Senate-approved budget resolution on Wednesday, but it remains uncertain whether Speaker Mike Johnson will secure enough votes in the closely divided House. President Trump has been urging GOP lawmakers to support the budget plan.
Although the House narrowly advanced the budget plan with a 216-215 vote, some Republicans who initially supported the procedural move have indicated they will vote against the final blueprint.
During the vote, Johnson expressed optimism about the outcome but did not disclose specific numbers. President Trump met with a group of dissenting Republicans at the White House and emphasized the importance of passing the budget resolution at a fundraising dinner.
A faction of conservative lawmakers remains opposed to the budget plan, citing concerns about insufficient spending cuts. The House Rules Committee approved the measure, but some members, like Reps. Chip Roy and Ralph Norman, stated they would still oppose it on the House floor. The budget plan also includes provisions regarding Trump’s tariff powers and the U.S. debt ceiling.
House Republicans aim to pass significant tax cuts, increase spending on immigration enforcement and military, and raise the debt ceiling by up to $5 trillion through their party-line bill. The discrepancy between House and Senate Republicans lies in the amount of required spending cuts.
The Senate proposal mandates a minimum of $4 billion in cuts, while the House’s earlier budget blueprint called for $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion in cuts. Despite assurances from Senate GOP leaders that the figure is a minimum rather than a target, disagreements persist between the two chambers.
Some conservatives are skeptical and argue that the plan would increase the national debt. However, Senator Johnson, who participated in Trump’s meeting with certain Republican holdouts at the White House, acknowledges the fiscal concerns of conservatives and agrees that more work is needed to secure enough votes. Johnson stated that the president is willing to assist in the process and expressed confidence in getting the job done. He empathizes with the holdouts, recognizing their desire for genuine budget cuts and a shift in the country’s debt trajectory. On a different note, Representative Greg Meeks of New York, the leading Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced a resolution on Tuesday to end the April 2 emergency declaration. This resolution has garnered support from 36 co-sponsors, all Democrats, while some Republicans, such as Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska, are considering returning tariff authority to Congress. These issues are unfolding just as Congress prepares for a two-week recess, with Republican leaders aiming to make progress on the budget before the break. Johnson defended his stance on not allowing votes to revoke Trump’s tariffs, emphasizing the need to grant the president time to pursue his trade policy goals. He believes in the effectiveness of an America First approach and argues that Trump should have the space to negotiate with other countries.
