Trump convinces some House GOP budget holdouts after meeting
A recent meeting at the White House saw some House republicans change their stance on a GOP budget resolution after discussions with former President Donald Trump. though, this shift was not enough to secure the needed votes for the bill’s passage.Before the meeting, around 30 House Republicans opposed the Trump-backed budget, arguing it lacked sufficient spending cuts. Even though a few members, like reps. Greg Stuebe, Byron Donalds, and Ron Estes, expressed support for the bill after the meeting, others like Rep. Ralph Norman remained skeptical, suggesting the legislation wouldn’t pass.
Speaker Mike Johnson, who attended the meeting, expressed optimism, noting that Trump’s involvement might help sway more votes, aiming for a vote later that week. The budget’s fate is complex by the need for unanimous GOP support, as Democrats are unified against the proposal, particularly due to potential cuts to the Medicaid programme. The urgency for the budget stems from Trump’s desire to advance his legislative agenda, including an extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. however, the scheduling for a vote has become uncertain as some Republicans urge caution before moving forward amidst ongoing dissent.
Some House GOP budget holdouts cave after White House meeting, but not enough
A handful of Republicans withholding support for a GOP budget resolution changed their minds after meeting with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, but not enough movement to secure passage in the House.
Before the White House meeting, at least 30 House Republicans were standing firm against the Trump-backed budget resolution coming back from the Senate because it didn’t go far enough with spending cuts.
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While many holdouts were not invited to the meeting, several who did attend said they would flip their vote after talking with Trump, including Rep. Greg Stuebe (R-FL), whose office confirmed his support to the Washington Examiner. Others whose votes were locked in after talking to Trump included Reps. Byron Donalds (R-FL) and Ron Estes (R-KS), according to reports.
“All I’ve heard is Greg and I think Estes, that’s two,” Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) told reporters after the meeting.
“I don’t think it’ll pass from what I’m hearing,” he continued.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) still needs to convince others. He can lose only three votes to pass the legislation along party lines. Democrats have overwhelmingly rejected the budget blueprint because of the potential it has to cut funding for the Medicaid healthcare program, which they want to protect.
Johnson expressed optimism after the White House meeting that Trump changed minds.
“We had a lot of members whose questions were answered, and I think we’re moving, making great progress right now,” Johnson told reporters as he arrived back in the Capitol, adding that he thinks a vote could come “this week.”
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Norman, who sits on the Rules Committee, told reporters Tuesday morning he was not invited to the White House, even though he is against the bill. Reps. Tim Burchett (R-TN) and Keith Self (R-TX), other holdouts, also said they were not included in the meeting with the president.
Johnson, who also attended the White House meeting, had wanted to vote on the budget resolution on Wednesday, but that schedule appears to be in jeopardy after the House Rules Committee will not meet on Tuesday to tee up the vote. Lawmakers were slated to go on a two-week recess starting Thursday, although many Republican holdouts warn against forcing a vote when they do not have the support.
Trump has pushed for swift passage of the resolution because it will kickstart the process, known as budget reconciliation, to pass his agenda in Congress. The so-called one big beautiful bill is to include an extension of Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and border and energy priorities.
“The president was very quick to put out a statement about his support for the reconciliation package that the Senate passed, and he is counting on House Republicans to pass it,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday.
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Trump won’t get any help from Democrats, with House Democratic leaders calling for “maximum attendance” from their ranks to defeat the bill.
One Democratic absence is already anticipated after Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ) was hospitalized due to a medical event related to his gallbladder. He is now in intensive care in New Jersey. There are two other Democratic absences following the recent deaths of Reps. Sylvester Turner and Raul Grijalva.
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