House Speaker Mike Johnson is outlining an ambitious strategy to address President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda by combining provisions on border security, energy, manufacturing, and tax policy into a single bill. The plan, aimed at utilizing the budget reconciliation process to bypass Senate voting thresholds, faces challenges due to the slim Republican majority in the House. Despite potential obstacles, Johnson remains determined to achieve the mission. Meanwhile, key senators are debating whether to split the bill into two separate pieces of legislation to expedite border funding and address tax cuts. Ultimately, the goal is to demonstrate tangible change to the American people within the next six months to a year. Senate Republicans are also considering additional immigration and border security bills to appease lawmakers and Trump supporters. However, concerns have been raised about prioritizing border security over tax cuts, with some warning about potential risks to national security. As discussions continue, the focus remains on finding the best approach to move forward with the legislative agenda.
“The results are far more important than the process,” he informed the press. House Ways & Means Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo., stated that Trump’s preference for a single bill has been settled. “The House will proceed with one bill,” he confirmed. Limitations of the bill include the strict rules of the 50-vote reconciliation process, which confines matters to taxes and spending. The “Byrd Rule,” named after the late Sen. Robert Byrd, allows Senators to challenge parts of a bill that do not meet these criteria. The Senate parliamentarian decides if provisions are related to taxes and spending, and those that aren’t are removed.
Overruling the parliamentarian is an option to avoid this, but even some hardline Republicans are hesitant to do so. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., expressed a commitment to preserving the filibuster and avoiding changing policy, even for border goals. Johnson’s proposal to utilize the bill to lift the debt ceiling adds complexity, as it often requires Democratic support, something many Republicans dislike dealing with.
Furthermore, a significant challenge will be achieving deficit neutrality in a bill projected to add trillions to the long-term debt by extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts. Trump also aims to include his “no tax on tips” proposal, which could raise the package’s cost. Additional obstacles for Republicans may include the departure from their preference for smaller bills, as well as the need for negotiation by party leaders, a process that some conservatives argue should begin at the committee level.
While Trump initially favored one comprehensive bill, he later acknowledged the benefits of a two-bill strategy. He stated on a radio show that while he prefers a single bill for its cleanliness and unity, he is open to other approaches to ensure the passage of his agenda.
With that being said, we’d get some border work done a little bit earlier, et cetera, et cetera,” Kennedy emphasized the need for swift decision-making on the part of President Trump and the Republicans to address the border situation effectively.
“I just want to know what the president thinks. I just want to have an agreement. Again, I’m not wedded to either one bill or two bills,” the Louisiana Republican stated. “I just think we need to all get in the same room and say, OK, here’s our game plan. And some will be happy, some will be sad. Because there’s some people that feel strongly in the Senate that we ought to split them up. But I understand the House’s position too. We can probably clear a lot of that up with the president, with a phone call.”
