Senate Republicans are grappling with internal divisions that threaten delays on critical components of President Trump’s agenda, including border security and defense spending.
Quick Takes
- Senate Republicans’ internal differences could delay Trump’s agenda until July.
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune aims for a budget resolution by end of July.
- Defense spending remains a contentious issue, with significant increases demanded.
- House leadership pushes for an April budget reconciliation package.
Agenda and Budget Resolution Stalled
Ongoing debates among Senate Republicans have stalled progress on key elements of President Trump’s legislative agenda, mainly tightening border controls, energy policies, and tax overhauls. The Senate faces internal divisions, which may push the budget resolution’s approval into the summer months. Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham and Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker are advocating for a notable increase in defense spending, making consensus challenging.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is advocating for a quicker resolution to maintain economic stability. He aims for passage of a budget reconciliation package in April, which includes border security, energy reform, defense spending, and an extension of the 2017 tax cuts. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune criticized the House’s timeline, suggesting it is unrealistic and requires significant reworking.
Defense Spending and Tax Cuts
Defense spending is a major point of contention, with Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker arguing for more than $150 billion in defense spending to counter threats from China and other adversaries, saying, “”We’re going to need more than $150 billion in the reconciliation bill, if we’re going to be able to defend the country.” He supports using a continuing resolution to fund the government until September 30, anticipating the reconciliation package will address Pentagon funding shortfalls.
The House GOP faces challenges due to Speaker Mike Johnson’s slim majority, which allows for only one GOP vote loss to pass legislation. Within the GOP, internal divisions over tax policy, defense spending, and entitlement cuts are complicating the reconciliation package’s passage. Lawmakers must decide on additional tax cuts, including proposals to lift the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions.
Implications and Next Steps
The Senate’s deliberation is expected to be longer due to the extensive nature of Trump’s agenda and the GOP’s internal divisions on policy issues. Disagreements also exist over the “current policy” baseline for estimating the package’s cost, with some senators expressing fiscal concerns.
As the budget debates continue, Medicaid cuts remain contentious, with some senators, including Hawley, opposing deep cuts due to their potential impact on constituents. Ensuring sufficient defense funding and negotiating tax proposals will likely dominate the upcoming discussions as the legislative process proceeds.
Sources
1. GOP senators warn Trump agenda will be slowed by internal divisions
2. Report: Senate Republicans at Odds over Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ May Not Pass Until July
