President Donald Trump’s domestic agenda took a significant step forward on Tuesday as House Republicans managed to overcome internal divisions over spending to pass a crucial framework for a multitrillion-dollar plan covering defense, energy, immigration, and tax policy.
The approval of this framework is a vital milestone, as it allows Republicans to utilize a complex legislative process known as reconciliation. This tool enables them to bypass a Democratic filibuster in the Senate, but they first had to come to an agreement on a budget blueprint to unlock it.
“We got it done,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters following the vote. “This is the first important step in opening up the reconciliation process. We have a lot of hard work ahead of us, but we are going to deliver the America First agenda.”
With a slim majority in the House, Republicans needed nearly unanimous support from their members. The measure ultimately passed by a narrow 217-215 margin, with just one Republican opposing the budget resolution.
Tuesday’s vote represents an early victory in what is expected to be a long and challenging road to passing the GOP’s policy priorities. The Senate, which is also under Republican control, had already advanced its own budget reconciliation plan, frustrated by the delays in the House. Now, both chambers must pass an identical bill to move the process forward.
At the start of the day, GOP leaders were still working to consolidate support. Johnson and his team spent weeks engaged in difficult negotiations, struggling to reconcile the demands of various factions within their party.
Fiscal conservatives pushed for deep spending cuts, while other Republicans voiced concerns about reductions affecting Medicaid, the government insurance program that provides health coverage for millions of low-income and disabled Americans.
The House’s budget proposal includes a funding boost for securing the southern border, an increase in military spending, and an increase in the nation’s debt limit by $4 trillion.
Additionally, the plan calls for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts over the next decade. These include an extension of the 2017 Trump tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of the year, as well as other tax proposals Trump championed during his campaign, such as eliminating taxes on tips, overtime pay, and Social Security benefits.
Spending Cut Compromise
To advance the budget proposal to this stage, Johnson had to concede to demands from some conservative lawmakers for $2 trillion in spending reductions. However, the exact details of these cuts will be determined later by various House committees.
For instance, the House Energy and Commerce Committee has been assigned the task of finding $880 billion in savings. Given that this committee oversees spending on major programs like Medicare and Medicaid, moderate Republicans worry that essential social safety net programs could be targeted for cuts.
Democrats quickly seized on these concerns, particularly regarding Medicaid, which serves low-income, elderly, and disabled Americans.
“The House Republican budget resolution will set in motion the largest Medicaid cut in American history,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters after the vote.
Ahead of Tuesday’s vote, several House members had expressed reservations. However, in the end, only one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, voted against the resolution.
On Monday, Massie voiced his opposition in a social media post, writing, “If the Republican budget passes, the deficit gets worse, not better.” His statement drew a response from billionaire Elon Musk, who replied, “That sounds bad.”
House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, credited Speaker Johnson for successfully rallying enough support to pass the resolution. Arrington acknowledged that there were multiple holdouts before the vote but said Johnson was instrumental in securing the outcome.
“I think that small margin forces you to work together,” Arrington said. “This was a historic election. We know this is a monumental opportunity for us to course correct, for us to reverse course on the last four years, to be frank, and nobody wants to miss that. And everybody had to make some sacrifice or some pain involved.”