Mike Johnson has about 12 hours to get his conference behind his plan for enacting the president’s sweeping agenda. It’s not looking good.
The speaker insists he’s not changing the budget resolution, which would set parameters for a sweeping bill to address border security, energy and tax policy. If House Democrats are at full attendance, just two GOP “no” votes would sink the resolution.
He and other GOP leaders held meetings late into the night Monday to try and flip holdouts, who fall into two camps with diametrically opposed demands: centrists who don’t want significant reductions to Medicaid and other safety-net programs, and conservatives who want steeper spending cuts.
There was some progress from those meetings. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, previously undecided, said she was leaning yes after she left Johnson’s office. But a handful of other centrists, including Reps. Tony Gonzales and Juan Ciscomani, remain undecided.
Many of them met Monday night with Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie, as Republican leaders are scrambling to find cuts to other programs to soften the blow to Medicaid, according to three people granted anonymity to speak frankly. The existing budget framework would have Guthrie’s committee cut $880 billion from initiatives under the panel’s purview — with Medicaid poised to feature prominently on the chopping block.
“I don’t know how you do it without cutting Medicaid seriously,” Rep. Jeff Van Drew said. “And so that’s my concern, and that’s why, at this point, I’m a lean no.”
But some conservatives might be a problem, too. Reps. Tim Burchett and Victoria Spartz say they are currently opposed, though they still plan to talk with GOP leadership prior to the vote. Rep. Thomas Massie has told fellow Republicans he’s a no. Rep. Andy Ogles and other hard-liners are still furious there aren’t deeper spending cuts in the plans and are threatening to tank the resolution on the floor Tuesday night. And still others are signaling they want answers about a government funding deal before they vote to adopt a budget resolution.
Johnson likely hoped he would get some backup from Trump in the leadup to the big vote, but that hasn’t materialized yet. Van Drew said he spoke to Trump and that they’re “aligned” on not wanting to cut people’s health care, but the New Jersey Republican said Trump didn’t ask him to support the budget resolution. And Elon Musk wrote “that sounds bad” in response to a Massie X post that said the budget plan would add to the deficit.
Johnson said Monday night that he still planned to hold the vote today, adding: “I think we’re on track.”
What else we’re watching:
- Dems call out GOP cuts: Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is leading his caucus to the Capitol steps to skewer cuts Republicans are likely to put in their budget plan. It’s part of Democrats’ stepped-up pushback to potential reductions to Medicaid, food assistance and other safety-net programs. At the same time, GOP representatives who faced blowback in their districts over the sweep and speed of the cuts being driven by Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency returned to Washington still largely supporting them.
- Trump freeze delays spending deal: The fight over curbing Trump’s ability to freeze federal funding has delayed lawmakers from reaching a deal to avert a government shutdown after March 14. House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole said negotiators are “very close” to a deal, but Democrats’ insistence on adding a condition to stop Trump from withholding money Congress has already appropriated has become the final sticking point.
- Lawmakers weigh more judges: A House Judiciary subcommittee will meet today to discuss the need for additional judgeships. As federal judges halt Trump administration executive actions, House Republicans have been mulling drastic intervention in the federal judiciary, including impeaching those judges who block Trump’s agenda. But any legislative solution likely won’t go over well with Senate Democrats.
Meredith Lee Hill, Ben Leonard, Jennifer Scholtes and Hailey Fuchs contributed to this report.
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