Fresh from his reelection as speaker, Mike Johnson enthusiastically outlined the ambitious Republican agenda for the upcoming year, vowing to target the “deep state” through legislative efforts. Johnson, aged 52 and representing Louisiana, discussed plans to consolidate a wide range of reforms on taxes, energy, border security, and more into a comprehensive package for a vote in April. Speaking on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Johnson hinted at the inclusion of numerous campaign promises within this package.
In a meeting with House Republican colleagues at Fort McNair, Maryland, spanning nearly nine hours, Johnson collaborated on strategies to advance President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda in the new Congress. The tentative plan involves extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, addressing key expiring provisions, and fulfilling promises like eliminating taxes on tips and Social Security while increasing the cap on state and local tax deductions. Additionally, the package will incorporate legislation aimed at enhancing border security and boosting energy production, drawing inspiration from previous Republican proposals.
To circumvent the 60-vote threshold required to overcome a filibuster in the Senate, Republicans intend to employ the budget reconciliation process to navigate the passage of the comprehensive bill. In parallel, they plan to pass smaller bills specifically targeting border issues before tackling the larger package. Despite initial resistance and internal strife among House Republicans, Johnson secured the necessary support for his reelection as speaker after intervention from President Trump.
Looking ahead, Johnson faces the challenging task of uniting his diverse caucus around Trump’s legislative agenda, with a slim majority in the House. He aims to deliver a significant legislative victory for Trump within the first 100 days of his presidency. Johnson’s timeline indicates a House vote on the comprehensive bill in early April, preferably by April 3, with Memorial Day as a final deadline. However, challenges loom, including potential government shutdown negotiations before the March 14 deadline, as Republicans work towards advancing their legislative priorities.
Congress will also have to grapple with the debt ceiling. Republicans are set to grapple with a handful of fiscal bombs this year, ranging from the debt limit to the expiring 2017 tax cut provisions. Under the last agreement — the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 — the debt limit was suspended until Jan. 1. Due to the various complexities of government spending, Congress is not expected to have to re-up the limit on the country’s borrowing authority until June.
Former President Trump has called for eliminating the debt ceiling altogether, a proposal that faces opposition from a contingent of hardcore Republicans in the House, although Democrats have expressed openness towards it. Speaker Johnson indicated that he wants to include legislation related to the debt ceiling in the broader package on Trump’s agenda. “I think we’re going to have to do it in that bill,” the speaker explained, “so that we won’t have to negotiate with Chuck Schumer and the Democrats.”
“We will have very thoughtful discussion and debate about where that limit should go,” Johnson added. “We’re the team that wants to cut spending, and we will. And we will do it dramatically — all the wasteful spending in government.”
After addressing these issues, Congress will have to either pass a government funding package for fiscal year 2026 or a short-term stopgap to avert another government shutdown by Sept. 30. “Remember, we did this in the first Trump administration. We brought about the greatest economy in the history of the world before COVID because we reduced taxes and we reduced regulations,” Johnson said. “That’s the basic formula. But the sooner that we do it, the better.”
