House Republicans released a fiscal blueprint Wednesday morning for the $95 billion party-line funding package GOP leaders hope to pass later this summer.
Budget Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) has scheduled a Thursday morning markup of the measure, which would unlock the reconciliation process to skirt the Senate filibuster and enact a bill that delivers up to $73 billion for the military and intelligence efforts, along with $12 billion for farm assistance.
The framework would also allow Republicans to devote another $10 billion for election-related matters. Some in the GOP are eyeing grants to encourage strict voter-ID laws, as House GOP leaders attempt to enact at least parts of the contentious SAVE America Act through the party-line reconciliation process.
Even clearing the framework through committee — the first step in an arduous legislative process — is not guaranteed. The panel’s fiscal hawks want offsets to reduce the deficit impact of at least some of the new spending. But that’s unlikely to happen, meaning the package won’t be paid for, which is riling fiscal hawks.
So House GOP leaders are expected to spend the day trying to quell the concerns of Republicans on the budget panel while balancing conflicting demands among the broader conference. The pitch top House Republicans are making to wary rank-and-file members is that a quick injection of military cash is essential to defending the nation amid the ongoing conflict in Iran and that Democrats would demand even more spending if Republicans decide instead to pass a bipartisan funding package.
The $73 billion allowed for military and intelligence roughly matches the funding the White House sought in its supplemental request last month. But the defense total comes in far below President Donald Trump’s demand of $350 billion in new Pentagon funding this year.
The budget framework would let Republicans direct $13 billion to intelligence programs. Of the additional $60 billion in defense funding, some would go to the ongoing war in Iran and another portion to servicemember pay, which Pentagon officials have warned will run short in August.
If Arrington succeeds in advancing the budget resolution, the House and Senate would both need to adopt the measure in order to embark on a third reconciliation bill this Congress, following enactment of the “big, beautiful bill” a year ago and an immigration enforcement funding package last month.
House GOP leaders want to hold a floor vote on the measure next week before lawmakers leave for a six-week recess. Action on the blueprint would then move to the Senate, which is scheduled to be in session into early August.
The Senate would need to amend the budget resolution to add instructions for its own committees and then send the measure back to the House, which would have to adopt it on the floor a second time.
Republicans in both chambers then would need to clear the funding package itself during the small window of session days scheduled for the leadup to Election Day.
Mia McCarthy and Jordain Carney contributed to this report.
