Republicans are divided over several key issues as they begin hashing out the details for what to include in the budget bill containing President Trump’s agenda.
Democrats will be watching closely for any cuts to social safety net programs that make up the bulk of the federal budget, as Republicans hunt for significant spending cuts to reduce the deficit.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee has been charged with finding $880 billion in savings over the next 10 years, with most of it expected to come from health programs.
The question the committee faces: What to do about states that expanded Medicaid to include people with slightly higher incomes under the Affordable Care Act?
The Hill’s Nathaniel Weixel reports:
“Republicans have been looking for ways to roll back that extra spending to save billions of dollars. Cutting those enhanced payments would bring significant savings, but it would represent a major cost shift to states, something that moderate and swing district Republicans have balked at.”
There’s also the matter of state and local tax (SALT) deduction caps.
Republicans who represent high-tax blue states, such as New York, New Jersey and California, insist they won’t support a Trump agenda bill unless it includes a significant increase in the deduction cap.
“This is a top priority for me,” said Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.). “So it is imperative that there be a SALT fix in the bill. Either it’s going to be fixed or it’s not. And if it’s not, I ain’t voting for the bill.”
Several members of the GOP’s SALT caucus will meet with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Ways and Means Committee chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) on Wednesday, The Hill’s Mychael Schnell reports.
And while most Republicans are down to defund NPR and PBS, some swing-district Republicans are skeptical.
At his Michigan rally Tuesday night, Trump had a message for GOP lawmakers that might seek to torpedo the bill.
“Every once in a while, you have a grandstander Republican,” Trump said. “We have some grandstanders. Not many, not many — but remember who those grandstanders are and vote them the hell out of office.”
Still, Republicans are mostly aligned on several big-ticket items.
The House GOP will allocate billions of dollars toward Trump’s deportation and border security efforts, including a controversial new provision that will charge $1,000 for migrants seeking asylum in the U.S.
