Republicans race to release plans to advance Trump policy agenda in Congress
Republicans in Congress are working to finalize competing plans to advance some of President Trump’s top policy priorities.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and other GOP leaders met late into the evening on Thursday following a roughly five-hour meeting at the White House that at times included Trump in hopes of releasing a broad budget framework on Friday. Republicans have been under intense pressure to move quickly on a legislative agenda but have so far been unable to agree on how to get that done.
Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., told reporters lawmakers discussed options to include in the budget plan: an extension of the federal borrowing limit, an extension of tax cuts passed in 2017 under the first Trump administration and campaign promises like addressing the U.S.-Mexico border and eliminating taxes on tips.
“Tick, tock, we’re running out of time,” McClain said. “We’ve talked about this for how long?”
Republicans hope to use an element of the budget process, known as reconciliation, to pass policy priorities without the threat of a filibuster from Democrats in the Senate. Reconciliation rules require lawmakers to pass a budget resolution that includes budget-related impacts to be addressed.
McClain and others who attended the White House meeting returned to the Capitol on Thursday night to finalize that topline figure and framework.
McClain stopped short of describing many of those details, deferring to Johnson and Trump after the plans are finalized.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, however, told reporters at the White House on Thursday that House Republicans were also discussing ideas like eliminating taxes on senior Social Security and overtime pay, adjusting the State and Local Tax deduction, eliminating special tax breaks for “billionaire sports team owners,” and closing the carried-interest tax deduction loophole and tax cuts for Made-in-America products.
“They’re talking about the budget and priorities from this administration — tax priorities,” she said.
Even if GOP House leaders are able to reach an agreement amongst themselves, the path to passing the bill will not be easy. Republicans have an extremely narrow House majority, meaning they will need virtually every Republican on board in order to pass a plan.
House Republicans may also face a competing proposal from their GOP counterparts in the Senate.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., is expected to introduce a separate budget measure next week.
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo, the number-two Republican in the Senate, told reporters Thursday evening that the Senate bill will include provisions covering energy, border and the military.
Barrasso will travel with a group of senators to meet with Trump in Florida on Friday.
“We want to go with urgency,” Barrasso said. “We want to make sure we get something done.”
NPR’s Elena Moore contributed to this report.
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