House Speaker Mike Johnson recently shared insights from a meeting at the White House with President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune regarding the budget resolution. Johnson mentioned that significant decisions were reached during the meeting, with details to be announced by the president at a later time.
Following the discussions, Johnson expressed optimism about the progress made in the budget talks. However, he cautioned against making substantial changes to the House version of the resolution, emphasizing the need to maintain a delicate balance among differing priorities to ensure agreement between both chambers.
One of the primary objectives highlighted by Johnson is the aim to make Trump's tax cuts permanent. He suggested that potential offsets could come from various sources, including addressing fraud identified by the Department of Government Efficiency, revenue generated from Trump's tariffs, and a proposed immigration plan where affluent individuals could pay for a pathway to citizenship.
Johnson emphasized that these factors would impact the financial calculations and indicated that further developments are expected in the coming weeks as discussions continue.
Notable figures present at the meeting included Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and White House National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett, as confirmed by Johnson.
Regarding government funding, Johnson mentioned that a one-year continuing resolution to fund the government appears increasingly likely at this stage.
