Mike Johnson Pushes Reconciliation Bill to Fund Defense, Agriculture

NOTUS’ Reese Gorman reported that, “House Speaker Mike Johnson and the White House are hoping to push a narrow reconciliation bill through the House by the end of next week that would include very few Republican priorities and focus mostly on defense and farm aid, multiple sources told NOTUS.”

“The working plan is for the bill to have sections from four committees: the House Administration Committee, the House Armed Services Committee, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Agriculture Committee,” Gorman reported. “The bill will include $70 billion for the war in Iran and defense, $20 billion for agriculture, mostly relief funds, and the SAVE America Act.”

Politico’s Meredith Lee Hill and Mia McCarthy reported that, “Speaker Mike Johnson told House Republicans he wants the Budget Committee to mark up a budget resolution by the end of Thursday — the first step toward passing a party-line policy package that can skirt the filibuster in the Senate.”

“Johnson announced his wishes inside a closed-door House GOP Conference meeting Tuesday morning, according to four people granted anonymity to share his private remarks,” Politico reported. “While he doesn’t yet have the votes, he is pushing ahead amid increased pressure from White House officials to make real progress on advancing a reconciliation package as the midterms approach and money for the Iran war runs out.”

“Johnson and other GOP leaders are also working quickly to narrow the scope of their once-sprawling plans for ‘Reconciliation 3.0’ — followups to last summer’s tax and spending megabill and the immigration enforcement measure passed in June,” Politico reported. “Their proposed bill also would include some components of the GOP election bill known as the SAVE America Act — largely by relying on a grant program and other incentives to encourage states to implement voter ID and citizenship requirements to cast ballots.”

MS NOW’s Rachel Schilke and Roxana Tiron reported that, “it’s unclear what form the SAVE America Act would take. The Senate parliamentarian previously ruled that the voting measure cannot be included in a reconciliation bill, according to the strict rules of the budgetary process. As a workaround, Johnson has proposed creating a fund that states can use to implement parts of the legislation.”

“But the current blueprint doesn’t include any spending cuts to offset the new funding, the sources said, already creating friction with conservatives,” MS NOW reported. 

A Bumpy Road Ahead with Republican Leaders

“Johnson urged Republicans Tuesday morning to ‘be patient,’ but he’s getting sharp pushback from rank-and-file Republicans who want more details now,” Politico reported.

The Washington Post’s Jarrell Dillard, Anna Liss-Roy and Mariana Alfaro reported that, “the effort marks the third time this Congress that Republicans have resorted to the reconciliation process to finance President Donald Trump’s priorities.”

“But while reconciliation avoids the need for Democratic votes, Republican leaders will still need to rally their own slim majorities,” The Washington Post reported. “Fiscally conservative Republicans in the House have made clear that, to gain their support, the package would need to include budget cuts to avoid adding to the nation’s climbing $39 trillion debt.”

“With the House set to leave Washington at the end of next week for the August recess, Republicans are racing the clock,” The Washington Post reported. “The Senate is set to leave town Aug. 7 until mid-September.”

“Passing a budget resolution is just the first step in the reconciliation process, creating a framework with spending targets for other committees, which then do the work of assembling the reconciliation package,” The Washington Post reported. “If Republicans do not pass a budget framework before the August recess, the path to getting the full package through both chambers before the November midterms would be difficult. Numerous other priorities, including funding the government for fiscal year 2027, will also require a substantial amount of lawmakers’ time this fall.”

“Some key Republicans have dismissed the idea of another reconciliation package,” The Washington Post reported. “On Monday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) told reporters that the path to getting 51 senators to support such a bill would be ‘a bumpy one.’”

“Some key Republicans have dismissed the idea of another reconciliation package. On Monday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) told reporters that the path to getting 51 senators to support such a bill would be ‘a bumpy one.’”