Senate moves full steam ahead on massive Trump budget bill after GOP divisions derail House

Senate Republicans are forging ahead with their ambitious conservative policy agenda through the budget reconciliation process, despite House GOP leaders insisting on their chamber going first. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham unveiled a comprehensive 61-page resolution that aims to fund President Donald Trump’s priorities for border security, fossil fuel energy, and national defense.

The resolution includes funding for the completion of Trump’s border wall, additional beds in detention centers at the border, hiring more Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, increasing personnel patrolling the border, and adding more immigration judges to process the backlog of asylum cases. On the energy front, the bill focuses on expanding offshore drilling leases and halting the Biden administration’s methane emissions fee.

The legislation also prioritizes boosting military readiness, expanding the U.S. Navy, and establishing an integrated air and missile defense system to counter threats. Graham’s office indicated that the bill would be deficit-neutral, with $342 billion in new spending offset by equivalent savings.

The Senate’s plan involves dividing Trump’s reconciliation priorities into two separate bills. The second bill, to be released later, is expected to include extensions to Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and other key proposals like eliminating taxes on tipped and overtime wages.

With majorities in both the House and Senate, Republicans plan to advance a range of Trump policy initiatives, from extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to allocating more funds for border operations. The budget reconciliation process lowers the Senate passage threshold to a simple majority of 51 votes, enabling Republicans to bypass Democratic opposition and advance their agenda, provided the measures pertain to budgetary or fiscal matters.

The initial step in the reconciliation process involves passing a resolution through the House and Senate budget committees, which will then instruct other relevant committees to develop a final bill. While the Senate’s approach aligns with the House on the content to be passed through reconciliation, House GOP leaders and Republicans on the Ways & Means Committee have expressed concerns about potential time constraints in passing a second bill containing Trump’s tax cuts by year-end.

House Republicans had planned to advance a bill through their budget panel this week, but the process faced delays as spending hawks pushed for deeper funding cuts. Conservatives are adamant that any Republican plan must either reduce the deficit or be deficit-neutral.

House Speaker Mike Johnson indicated his intention for the House to proceed with their plan next week, despite scheduling conflicts with Graham. Johnson aims for a House Budget Committee markup of the bill as early as Tuesday. Meanwhile, Graham plans to move his bill through committee on Wednesday and Thursday.

Senate Republicans are scheduled to meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday night to discuss the agenda further. The rewriting of the original content ensures the key points and HTML elements are preserved while presenting a fresh perspective on the ongoing policy overhaul efforts by Senate Republicans.