House Republicans on Tuesday advanced a framework for President Trump’s “big, beautiful” agenda package on taxes, border security, energy supply and more, teeing up a final floor vote on the measure as soon as Tuesday evening.
In a 217–211 vote, Republicans green-lit a rule needed to enable a full floor vote on the blueprint budget resolution, which is required to unlock the legislative process for Republicans to begin working on the marquee Trump agenda package.
The House budget resolution lays out committee assignments to cut at least $1.5 trillion and potentially up to $2 trillion. Then it allows for the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee to increase the deficit by up to $4.5 trillion while drafting Trump’s tax cuts.
It also authorizes up to $300 billion in beefed-up border security and defense spending and calls for increasing the debt ceiling by $4 trillion. The debt ceiling is projected to become a problem around June.
Assigned cuts include an $880 billion reduction conducted by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, $330 billion by the Education and Workforce Committee and $230 billion by the Agriculture Committee.
Despite GOP hardliners agreeing to the rule on the budget resolution, many have signaled opposition to the blueprint as written, creating headaches for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
“There may be a vote tonight,” Johnson told The Post Tuesday when asked about the timeline. “There may not be. Stay tuned.”
Rules lay the procedural groundwork for the consideration of legislation in the House of Representatives. Without a rule, leadership would have to use a process known as suspension of the rules, which necessitates a two-thirds majority.
Sometimes lawmakers will vote for a rule and then vote against a measure if amendments they want don’t get adopted. The blueprint budget resolution had cleared the House Rules Committee Monday evening.
