During a closed-door meeting on Saturday, House Speaker Mike Johnson informed Republicans that Donald Trump preferred to pursue his agenda as a comprehensive package, sources revealed. This significant announcement, though risky, lays the groundwork for advancing the president-elect’s ambitious plans.
The decision to combine border, energy, and tax policies into a single bill marks a departure from Senate Republican leader John Thune’s stance. However, it also signifies a shift in Trump’s team’s perspective on the legislative landscape in recent weeks. A source familiar with this shift indicated that the challenges faced with the spending bill and the tight speaker’s race made it evident that there was little room to navigate separate bills for border and energy policies and tax policies.
While Thune and other GOP senators believed that focusing on a border and energy policy bill initially, followed by a tax bill later in the year, would be a wiser political move, key House Republicans, including Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, had been advocating for a single comprehensive bill. They argued that managing two separate bills would be too complex in the House, where the GOP holds a slim majority.
Smith emphasized, “The most efficient way to deliver for President Trump is through one comprehensive package.” However, negotiating a massive bill will be time-consuming and pose a considerable challenge for a party with little margin for error. This comprehensive bill will have to navigate through multiple committees and could take longer compared to a more focused border and energy bill.
The debate between the Senate and House Republicans reflected differing opinions on the strategic approach to Trump’s agenda. While the Senate proposed two separate bills to secure an early victory for Trump, House members feared losing momentum for his broader agenda. With Trump’s inauguration looming, the decision to pursue a single bill became a key factor in Johnson’s re-election as speaker, supported by Trump and crucial in avoiding internal discord within the party.
Republican representatives like Rich McCormick and Keith Self cited the promise of a unified bill as a deciding factor in supporting Johnson. The unity around the idea of a “big, beautiful” bill post-speaker election highlighted the party’s commitment to advancing Trump’s agenda efficiently and avoiding potential setbacks.
In summary, the push for a single comprehensive bill reflects the evolving strategy within the Republican Party as they prepare to execute Trump’s agenda, emphasizing unity and efficiency in delivering on key campaign promises.
“His agenda to pass,” Self said. “And that was my message to him: ‘Mr. President, we need a strong negotiating team.'”
This story has been updated with additional details. CNN’s Kaanita Iyer contributed to this report.
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