Trump's budget is dangerous as it attacks Republican opposition
Washington – House Republicans have not yet settled several major disputes that have the potential to derail President Trump’s domestic policy bill as more conservative members and Blue State Republicans dig out their demands.
House Speaker Mike Johnson remains committed to introducing the legislation that will temporarily enact a new deadline on the floor before Memorial Day, along with a temporary enactment of a new term. Tax measures and increased spending on military and border security will be partially offset by cutting Medicaid, food stamps and clean energy subsidies.
But first, it must be passed on the House Budget Committee starting Friday, with a few conservatives saying the legislation is not enough to cut federal spending. South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman said Thursday that he and Texas Rep. Chip Roy will vote against the bill.
“We have a consumption problem. We have a deficit problem, and that doesn't solve it,” Norman said.
Rep. Jodey Arrington, Texas, chairman of the Budget Committee, said he was confident that there would be enough votes to advance it when the committee met on Friday to merge other committees into a single bill. If the Budget Committee is available, the plan is that the Rules Committee will meet later Monday to conduct a venue vote.
Meanwhile, if the bill does not propose a cap on state and local taxes that can be written off on federal tax returns, a group of Republicans from the Blue Country threatens to retain their support in the floor vote. The bill increases the cap on deductions from $10,000 to $30,000, but New York Republicans insist on raising it further.
Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican of New York, called CAP “unacceptable” Thursday and said the organization has made it clear to leadership: “No one of us will support the situation at the moment.”
Job requirements for Medicaid recipients without disabilities and children were put forward by conservative members. These requirements will not be raised until 2029 under the current bill, and conservatives want them to start immediately after legislation becomes law.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Republican of Louisiana, said Thursday they are considering increasing the effective date of the job requirements to get more members of the final product to join the final product, but added that final details are not yet resolved.
Louisiana Republican Johnson met with the opposition factions Thursday and said they will negotiate over the weekend to resolve the remaining differences. If all members were on the ballot, he could only afford three defections.
Contributed to this report.