Speaker Mike Johnson faces a critical challenge in uniting Republicans behind a budget resolution that aligns with President Trump’s America First agenda.
If Republicans can’t get this done, it’s a bad start for Trump’s second term.
At a Glance
- Speaker Johnson aims to pass a budget resolution with only Republican support
- The resolution includes $300 billion for border security and defense, with $1.5 trillion in spending cuts
- Internal GOP disagreements exist over the extent of budget cuts
- Johnson remains confident in achieving Republican unity for a potential historic legislation
- The goal is to pass the reconciliation package by early April, with a final package by early May
Johnson’s Strategy for GOP Unity
Speaker Mike Johnson is navigating a delicate political landscape as he works to secure unanimous Republican support for a budget resolution that embodies President Donald Trump’s America First initiatives. In other words: he’s desperately trying to pull the Republican Party together for once.
With a slim GOP majority in the House, Johnson’s strategy hinges on achieving perfect party alignment, allowing for no more than one Republican defection.
The proposed budget resolution is a crucial step towards implementing President Trump’s legislative agenda. It includes substantial allocations for conservative priorities, with $300 billion earmarked for border security, immigration enforcement, and national defense. Additionally, the plan outlines $1.5 trillion in spending cuts and proposes a $4 trillion increase in the debt limit.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To the Senate Trying to Advance Trump’s Agenda
You’ll likely need a universal translator to decipher the fiscal discourse emanating from Capitol Hill this week and next.
You’ll hear a lot about budget reconciliation. “One bill/two bill.” And…
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) February 20, 2025
The path to consensus has not been without obstacles so far. Johnson and Republican leadership have invested nearly a year in negotiations to bridge the divide within their conference. The party faces internal disagreements, with moderate members viewing the proposed budget cuts as too severe, while fiscal hawks advocate for even deeper reductions.
“We’ve been working on this, really, since March of last year, when we first got the committee chairs to start talking about what they might be able to do in reconciliation in their areas of jurisdiction,” Speaker Mike Johnson said.
Despite these challenges, Johnson remains optimistic about the prospects of unifying the Republican caucus. He believes that the potential for a significant legislative victory will ultimately bring the party together.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To the Senate Tackling Its Budget Plan For the Border, But Leaving Out Tax Cuts – For Now
The Senate is expected to begin work on one component of President Trump’s policy agenda this week. The Senate will focus on bolstering border security, finishing the…
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The Speaker is employing the budget reconciliation process, a legislative maneuver that allows for the passage of certain budgetary measures without the threat of a Democratic filibuster in the Senate. This strategy underscores the partisan nature of the effort, with Johnson explicitly stating that reconciliation will remain a Republican-only endeavor.
This approach necessitates complete Republican unity, a fact not lost on Johnson.
“We’re not going to have any Democrats, which means we are going to have to have every single Republican,” he acknowledged.
But can he really do it? We’ll see…
