House Passes Budget Bill
The House of Representatives has set the stage for a sweeping legislative battle, adopting a resolution that could eventually morph into a multi-trillion-dollar package centered around former President Donald Trump’s key priorities: border security, defense, energy, and taxes. In a razor-thin 217-215 vote, House Republicans managed to push the measure through, marking a significant—albeit hard-fought—victory for GOP leadership.
Every Democrat opposed the resolution, joined by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who voiced concerns about the bill’s impact on the national deficit. But for now, the measure has cleared its first hurdle, setting up a lengthy process of committee negotiations, potential revisions, and a final showdown with the Senate.
The atmosphere inside the House chamber on Monday night was anything but ordinary. Republican leaders held the vote open for nearly 45 minutes, working feverishly to secure enough support from skeptical fiscal conservatives. Democrats, eager to see the vote closed, audibly voiced their impatience as Republicans huddled in strategic groups. At one point, President Trump himself reportedly stepped in, calling Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., as GOP leaders sought to shore up votes. Others, including Reps. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., and Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, were also seen on their phones—though it remains unclear if they, too, were speaking with Trump.
For a brief moment, it seemed that GOP leaders might have fallen short. The planned vote was abruptly canceled, only to be revived moments later, sending lawmakers scrambling back to the floor. Meanwhile, House Democrats made a dramatic re-entry: Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo., returned with her newborn, and Rep. Kevin Mullin, D-Calif., made his way to the chamber with the aid of a walker after a recent hospitalization.
This resolution is more than just a procedural step—it’s the foundation for the GOP’s broader strategy. House and Senate Republicans intend to use budget reconciliation, a powerful legislative maneuver that allows bills to pass with a simple majority rather than the usual two-thirds threshold. This tool is typically reserved for moments when one party controls both chambers and the White House, but with the GOP’s slim margins, they can afford almost no defections.
The resolution itself proposes increasing spending on border security, the judiciary, and defense by approximately $300 billion while identifying at least $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion in cuts elsewhere. A major provision includes $4.5 trillion to extend Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which is set to expire at the end of the year. To satisfy fiscal hawks, an amendment from House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, mandates $2 trillion in spending cuts—failure to meet this target would result in proportional reductions to the tax cuts.
Debt limit concerns also play a central role. The resolution proposes raising the debt ceiling by $4 trillion, covering roughly two years of federal borrowing. A bipartisan deal in 2023 suspended the limit until January 2025, but current projections suggest the U.S. could hit a fiscal wall as early as spring unless Congress intervenes.
The path forward remains fraught with challenges. Conservative hardliners are demanding deeper spending cuts, while moderate Republicans worry about the potential impact on key federal programs. One of the most contentious directives tasks the House Energy & Commerce Committee with identifying $880 billion in reductions—raising fears that programs like Medicaid could face significant cuts.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has pushed back against such concerns, arguing that the focus is on eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse rather than slashing essential services. “Medicaid is hugely problematic because it has a lot of fraud, waste, and abuse. Everybody knows that,” Johnson stated during a press conference. “What we’re talking about is rooting out the fraud… It doesn’t matter what party you’re in—you should be for that.”
The resolution has earned backing from a broad range of Republicans, including House Budget Committee member Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, who described it as the best possible outcome under current circumstances. Others, like Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, are eager to move forward, emphasizing priorities such as tax cuts, border security, and expanding domestic energy production.