President Trump is returning from a Middle East trip where he was feted by foreign leaders to find his legislative agenda on shaky ground on Capitol Hill.
), and he and senior White House officials are expected to continue their outreach to lawmakers over the weekend and into next week.
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), one of the four GOP members who sunk the budget vote on the reconciliation bill on Friday, pushed back on the suggestion that he was grandstanding.
Trump has at times appeared reluctant to firmly weigh in on specific policy details of the reconciliation bill.
“The White House expects ALL Republicans to vote for this bill and successfully pass it through Committee in the near future.” Emily Brooks and Mike Lillis contributed reporting
After being praised by international leaders during his trip to the Middle East, President Trump is returning to Capitol Hill to find his legislative agenda in shambles.
Republican lawmakers are fighting over the specifics of the massive reconciliation package, which includes important components of Trump’s spending, tax, and border funding agenda.
Four conservative lawmakers obstructed a crucial committee vote on Friday, causing the legislation to stall and leaving many of the president’s campaign pledges in jeopardy.
Republicans and White House officials hinted that Trump would increase his interaction with members this week, calling and interacting more directly in an effort to bring the party together before disputes destroy the president’s “big, beautiful bill.”. Some said his participation would be required because of the tense atmosphere at the GOP conference.
“The president’s input is always beneficial in this situation, and we’re working with the administration to make sure that we pass his agenda in addition to fulfilling the mandate that the American people gave us during the election,” said Rep. Smucker Lloyd (R-Pa. ), who stated he supports the bill but voted against moving the reconciliation package forward on Friday due to procedural reasons.
The president communicates with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La) on a regular basis. ), and it is anticipated that he will continue to engage with lawmakers throughout the weekend and into the following week alongside senior White House officials.
Trump’s agenda-encompassing megabill, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, would fulfill campaign pledges to remove taxes on overtime and tipped wages and extend the tax cuts he signed in 2017 that are scheduled to expire later this year.
Additionally, Republicans estimate that it will save at least $10.5 trillion over ten years through reforms to the food assistance and Medicaid programs.
Even though House committees have recently finished extensive markups on key sections of the bill, lingering disputes still pose a threat to the bill’s passage in the entire chamber.
The state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap, which is currently set at $30,000 in the legislation, should be raised, according to moderate Republicans from high-tax blue states. However, fiscal hawks want the bill changed to obtain additional savings elsewhere in order to compensate for that. Concerns regarding Medicaid changes that would result in people losing their health insurance have also been voiced by some Republicans.
The delicate balancing act has put more pressure on Trump to convince his party members to support the signature legislation for his second term agenda, as well as on Republican leadership.
One Republican strategist stated that “passing anything will require a direct, hands-on approach from the president himself, given the narrow majority in the House and serious disagreements within the conference, as well as differences with the Senate.”.
On Friday, while returning from the United Arab Emirates, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Republicans “MUST UNITE behind, ‘THE ONE, BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL!’” He censured GOP “grandstanders.”.
Trump wrote, “Stop talking, and get it done.”.
Rep. Norman Ralph (R-S. A. ), one of the four Republican lawmakers who blocked Friday’s budget vote on the reconciliation bill, denied reports that he was feigning inconsistency.
“This is: how do you disagree with the agenda he laid out? He’s a smart guy, and the bill has a lot of good things,” Normal said to reporters. “We’re just requesting a small concession somewhere. We shouldn’t give the farm. It’s not appropriate. It’s not correct. “.”.
Trump has previously attempted similar strategies, targeting House GOP rebels like Representatives with his social media megaphone. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Chip Roy (R-Texas). even implying that they have major obstacles to overcome. However, those people have demonstrated that they are mainly unaffected by threats on social media.
The president has also previously used private outreach, such as calling undecided lawmakers and inviting them to the White House to talk about how to proceed.
On certain policy points of the reconciliation bill, Trump has occasionally seemed hesitant to express strong opinions. In an effort to appease conservatives who were concerned about increasing the national debt, he recently gave conflicting signals regarding the idea of raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans.
In the days and weeks ahead, Trump is anticipated to strike a balance between his public remarks and private outreach to lawmakers as the reconciliation package encounters additional obstacles before reaching his desk.
According to a statement from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, “The White House will continue to have conversations over the weekend strongly urging House Members to seize the generational opportunity before them and vote YES on this historic legislation to fix the mess Joe Biden created.”. The White House anticipates that EVERY Republican will support this bill and that it will soon pass committee. “.”.
Reports were provided by Mike Lillis and Emily Brooks.
