Washington — The House is set to vote on a budget proposal Tuesday that aims to implement trillions in spending cuts and tax reductions central to President Trump’s agenda. However, the outcome remained uncertain as Speaker Mike Johnson held discussions with some members of his conference who were still dissatisfied with the proposal.
The House Rules Committee advanced the measure Monday night, and Johnson hoped to bring it to a vote on Tuesday. Nevertheless, it appeared he had not yet secured the support of all necessary Republicans for its passage.
“We’ll see about the timing, but it’ll happen this week,” Johnson informed reporters.
Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, is working swiftly to advance the budget resolution, an essential part of the budget reconciliation process that Republicans intend to use to push President Trump’s priorities on issues such as border security, energy, and taxes. Following delays due to infighting among House Republicans, Senate Republicans moved ahead with an alternative plan earlier this month. However, Johnson achieved a significant milestone last week when Mr. Trump endorsed the House’s budget outline.
Despite this, it remains unclear if Johnson and his leadership team can unify House Republicans around the budget proposal. Johnson conceded Monday that the math might not tip in his favor.
“We’re going to get everybody there. This is a prayer request. Just pray this through for us, because it is very high stakes, and everybody knows that,” Johnson stated at an Americans for Prosperity forum.
With a narrow majority of 218-215, Johnson can only afford to lose one vote if all members are present and voting. He indicated to reporters on Monday that he had communicated with a holdout, Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana, and had left a voicemail for another, Rep. Tom Massie of Kentucky.
However, that evening Massie voiced his concerns on X, saying, “If the Republican budget passes, the deficit gets worse, not better.” Elon Musk responded, “That sounds bad.” Following this, Spartz, who has already committed to opposing the budget bill, replied to Massie, stating, “The situation is much worse than it sounds @RepThomasMassie and @elonmusk – we are going to accumulate $24T of additional debt on top of $36T we already have … reaching $60 TRILLION!”
In addition, Rep. Tim Burchett expressed to reporters on Monday night that he is currently a “no” on the budget resolution, citing spending as his primary concern.
House Democrats are largely against the measure, and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries sent a letter to his caucus on Monday stressing the importance of maximum attendance on this issue. Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, urged lawmakers to gather on the Capitol steps Tuesday afternoon to showcase their opposition to what he described as a “budget scheme that betrays hardworking American families.”
The House GOP budget proposal includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and allocates for at least $1.5 trillion in spending cuts while raising the debt ceiling by $4 trillion. If House committees do not achieve a minimum of $2 trillion in spending reductions, the tax cuts will be adjusted in an amendment added to the resolution to satisfy conservative members.
The resolution directs relevant committees to identify billions of dollars in cuts, which may include reductions to Medicaid, raising concerns among some Republicans, especially those in swing districts.
GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York expressed her worries about potential Medicaid cuts but mentioned that after meeting with Johnson on Monday, he assured her that Medicaid recipients would not be removed from the program “unless they are not fulfilling the work requirements, and they’re not citizens.”
Nonetheless, several House Republicans appeared undecided regarding the budget proposal as the vote looms.
This development follows the Senate’s approval of its budget late last week while the House was in recess. Since Mr. Trump’s endorsement of the House resolution, Senate Republicans have positioned their own budget plan as a contingency. Their plan proposes to split the reconciliation process into two bills, with the first aimed at swiftly providing resources for border security and defense, while a subsequent bill would focus on tax issues. Senate Republicans are also advocating for making the tax cuts permanent, a feature not included in the House version.
