Reporter’s Notebook: The House trying to align with Senate on the framework for Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’

The House is once again attempting to reach an agreement with the Senate on the framework for President Donald Trump’s tax cut bill. A crucial vote is expected to take place as early as 10 a.m. ET. However, without alignment between the two chambers, the bill cannot move forward.

House conservatives have raised concerns, leading to a delay in the voting process. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has been in discussions with President Trump and Senate leaders in an effort to address these concerns. The holdouts are seeking assurances that the Senate will commit to reducing spending in line with their preferences.

In order to move the bill forward, either the Senate will need to make informal promises to cut more spending or the House will need to make adjustments to align with the Senate’s budget. Alternatively, the House could vote to send both plans to a conference committee for further reconciliation.

The current impasse highlights the challenges of coordinating between the two chambers. The Senate has already completed two versions of the budget, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has expressed reluctance to go through another round of updates and votes.

This disagreement puts Speaker Johnson’s timeline at risk, as he had hoped to finalize the bill by Memorial Day. With a slim margin for error in the House, any further delays or disagreements could jeopardize the passage of the bill.

Ultimately, the House and Senate must come to an agreement in order to move forward with the tax cut bill. Failure to do so could have significant implications for the legislative process and the ultimate passage of the bill.