This week, as the conference seeks to push its package full of President Trump’s legislative priorities, House Republicans are searching for agreements on Medicaid cuts, the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap, and other controversial issues.
The pursuit of agreement coincides with Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) ambitious plan to have the “one big, beautiful bill” out of the House and into the Senate by the end of the month. This deadline is getting harder to meet as the major obstacles slow down the process.
The conference runs the risk of failing to approve the Trump agenda package because the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee cannot take important votes on it if they cannot agree on the contentious issues.
As Republicans attempt to complete one of Trump’s agenda items, the House is scheduled to vote on a bill this week that would rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.
A proposal to repeal a Biden-era regulation pertaining to the production of rubber tires is scheduled for consideration by senators in the upper house.
As the officials take questions on Trump’s first budget request of his second term, Cabinet secretaries will also be travelling throughout the Capitol for hearings this week.
The House GOP seeks to resolve issues related to reconciliation
As Republican members attempt to resolve differences over possible Medicaid cuts, the SALT deduction cap, and other issues in order to keep the package on track for approval by the end of this month, the House will be primarily focused on the GOP’s bill, which is packed with Trump’s domestic policy concerns.
The dispute over Medicaid cuts will be addressed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee during its planned “member meetings” on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Originally planning to hold its markup this week, the committee postponed the vote due to ongoing disagreements.
Potential Medicaid cuts are the primary source of disagreement with the measure.
For months, the party has been shook by the prospect of potential cuts to the social safety net program. Conservatives are calling for drastic reforms to meet the party’s deficit reduction threshold, while moderates are opposing such a move.
The centrists’ opposition to Medicaid cuts is not abating
Lifting the SALT deduction cap is turning out to be the most difficult issue facing House GOP leadership, second only to Medicaid cuts.
While deficit hawks are voicing their opinions, Republicans from high-tax blue states are advocating for an increase to the $10,000 ceiling, which was initially imposed in the 2017 Trump tax reduction plan.
The Ways and Means Committee is in charge of the SALT deduction cap. In order to put the package on track for final passage by the end of the month, Johnson stated last week that he wanted all panels to finish their markups this week.
However, the Ways and Means Committee has yet to notice a vote, and there is growing speculation that it won’t happen this week due to the impending disagreements.
Additionally, House Republicans continue to debate how to respond to the likely reductions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, and the prospective repeal of the green energy tax credits that were included in the Democrats’ 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.
The Agriculture Committee cancelled preparations for a markup this week due to disagreements over SNAP.
On Tuesday at 10:15 a.m. EDT, the House Natural Resources Committee is set to mark up its portion of the Trump agenda bill.
Johnson is expressing hope that he can keep the conference on his schedule in spite of the package’s frequent and intricate conflicts. He praised their effort’s progress on Sunday.
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The Senate wants to repeal the Biden-era regulation
This week, a resolution to repeal a Biden-era regulation governing the production of rubber tires will be put to a vote in the Senate.
In order to control the release of some dangerous pollutants, the rule, which went into effect on November 29, towards the close of President Biden’s tenure, established emissions restrictions for particular processing methods used in the rubber tire manufacturing industry.
In March, the House passed the resolution by a mainly party-line vote of 216-202, with seven Democrats voting in favour of the bill and one Republican voting “no.”
The legislation’s proponent, Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), said that his bill would “protect American workers, consumers, and businesses” and referred to the Biden-era rule as “handcuffs on American energy.”
Following the resolution’s passing in the House, he added in a statement, “We are working alongside the Trump Administration to restore American energy dominance.”
