WASHINGTON — As House Republican leaders scramble to advance the latest GOP budget plan, nearly all corners of the party are urging holdouts to get on board to unlock the reconciliation process and negotiate finer details down the road.
Top House Republicans initially planned to vote on the Senate-passed budget resolution Wednesday afternoon, according to the schedule shared with members on Monday. However, that timeline could be punted further into the week due to a growing number of GOP lawmakers who say they’ll vote against the legislation, putting it in peril.
Now, party leaders are ready to play their trump card — literally.
The Trump administration is pulling out all the stops, even engaging in outside pressure to convince holdouts. A group of 22 Republican governors sent President Donald Trump a letter on Tuesday in support of the Senate’s budget resolution, arguing it “sets a strong foundation on which to build.”
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox was among those who signed the letter, arguing “Congress must deliver to (Trump’s) desk a reconciliation bill that reinforces your executive actions and codifies” policies on the border, energy and tax reform.
Meanwhile, the White House hosted a meeting Tuesday afternoon as a last-ditch effort to convince House Republicans who say they will vote against the Senate’s budget resolution to flip their votes. GOP leaders are working with a tight timetable as Congress is scheduled to adjourn for a two-week recess after this weekend.
White House meeting did little to convince holdouts — at least, those who were invited
GOP lawmakers met behind closed doors with Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., for two hours on Tuesday, although it seemed to make little difference by the time the meeting wrapped.
Two House Republicans who were initial nays did emerge with a change of heart, including Reps. Greg Steube, R-Fla., and Ron Estes, R-Kansas. Still, several others left the meeting unconvinced.
“All I see are promises. I do not believe in promises in Washington,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said after the meeting. “The Senate has sent a bill to us that doesn’t add up.”
The frustration stems from key changes the Senate made to the budget resolution passed by the House last month. Most notably, the Senate iteration would make the tax cuts in Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 permanent — something the House resolution did not do but became a redline for several Senate Republicans.
However, the main cause of contention is a provision in the Senate blueprint calling for just $4 billion in spending cuts — far below the $1.5 trillion marker in the House budget. Although Senate leaders have said the number acts as a minimum target, that has done little to assuage some fiscal hawks.
“Look, if the Senate is really serious they can produce, have them send over their folks,” Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., said after the meeting. “Give me their senior budget staff and bring a calculator.”
But the White House’s biggest challenge might be those who are staunchly opposed to the budget — but were not invited to attend the Tuesday meeting.
Johnson is operating with the slimmest of margins, and the leader can only afford to lose three House Republicans if all members are present. Any more than that, and the resolution will fail.
Nearly a dozen Republicans say they plan to vote against it, and several more remain undecided. However, Johnson is projecting confidence the resolution will pass, telling reporters he believes Trump has moved the needle.
“The president was very helpful and engaged. And we had a lot of members whose questions were answered,” Johnson said. “I think we’ll be moving forward this week.”
However, it’s not yet clear when.
GOP leaders delay action on Senate bill
The House Rules Committee intended to meet sometime Tuesday to formalize the legislative package, a procedural hurdle that must be completed before a bill can be brought to the floor.
However, the committee will not meet on Tuesday, a source familiar with planning told the Deseret News, leaving the path forward unclear.
House leaders could convene the Rules Committee early Wednesday morning to tee up a vote on the resolution as early as that evening or Thursday, although it’s not yet clear if they will do so.
But with Congress scheduled to enter a two-week recess, House leaders are privately considering whether to keep lawmakers in session through the weekend.
“Could be, I’m not ruling it out,” Johnson said on Monday.
It’s not yet clear whether the House will remain in session, but some lawmakers say they shouldn’t go home until a budget plan is passed — no matter how long it takes.
“I don’t think they should have us go home,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., told the Deseret News. “I think that they should keep us here.”