House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., revealed that Republicans are considering $1 trillion as a rough baseline for spending cuts as they gear up for a significant conservative policy overhaul. Scalise mentioned that they are close to the trillion-dollar mark but are still fine-tuning the details.
The Republican majorities in the House and Senate are working on implementing a large portion of President Donald Trump's agenda through the budget reconciliation process. This process allows the party in power to advance its agenda with a simple majority vote, bypassing opposition, as long as the items are related to budgetary or fiscal matters.
However, disagreements over the extent of spending cuts have caused delays in the House Republicans' reconciliation schedule. The House Budget Committee was expected to advance a resolution this week, but plans were postponed due to disagreements on the proposed spending cuts.
Conservatives are skeptical that the spending cuts will exceed the agreed-upon baseline, but Republican leaders remain optimistic about finding additional areas for cuts beyond the set level.
Scalise emphasized that negotiators are working against cost estimates by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and highlighted the importance of economic growth factors in determining the final numbers.
Despite challenges, GOP negotiators met to discuss the way forward, with Speaker Mike Johnson refraining from making commitments during the discussions.
Republicans are aiming to use reconciliation to push through various Trump policy objectives, including increased border funding, tax reforms, defense spending, and energy initiatives.
While House Republicans initially planned to pass their reconciliation bill first, Senate Republicans are prepared to proceed with their own plan if delays persist. Scalise and Johnson affirmed that the House will maintain its lead in the reconciliation process, with Scalise noting that a slight delay in the committee markup will not impact the overall timeline.
