House Republican leaders are urging their members to adopt the Senate’s version of the budget resolution that will tee up President Trump’s ambitious legislative agenda, despite growing opposition from hardline conservatives.
In a “Dear Colleague” letter sent to members on Saturday, Speaker Mike Johnson (La.), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (La.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (Minn.) and Conference Chair Lisa McClain (Mich.) got a head start on arguing in favor of the legislation.
“Adopting the Senate’s amendment to the House resolution will allow us to finally begin the most important phase of this process: drafting the reconciliation bill that will deliver on President Trump’s agenda and our promises to the American people,” they wrote in the letter.
But fiscal hawks and hardline conservative members are publicly balking at the Senate budget resolution instructions setting a much lower minimum for cuts than the House, saying they cannot support the legislation out of skepticism that the final product would have the steep cuts they are looking for.
“If the Senate can deliver real deficit reduction in line with or greater than the House goals, I can support the Senate budget resolution,” House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris (R-Md.) said in a statement posted to social platform X on Saturday. “However, by the Senate setting committee instructions so low at $4 billion compared to the House’s $1.5-2 trillion, I am unconvinced that will happen.”
The trouble is getting near-unanimous support from Republicans in the House, when fiscal hawks are seeking assurances on substantial spending cuts in the early steps of the legislation.
— Read more here from Emily Brooks
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