Despite skepticism, House Republicans narrowly passed the GOP’s budget resolution on Tuesday evening by a vote of 217-215. Every Democrat opposed the measure, while Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) was the sole Republican dissenter.
Other Republican holdouts included Reps. Victoria Spartz (R-IN), Warren Davidson (R-OH), and Tim Burchett (R-TN). In the end, however, all three supported the resolution.
Ahead of the vote, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) told reporters, “On a vote like this, you’re always going to have people you’re talking to all the way through the close of the vote.” This is certainly true of Republicans. But Democrats, regardless of what transpires behind closed doors, typically present a united front.
At any rate, after a hard-fought battle, Speaker Mike Johnson secured the win thanks to a crucial boost from President Donald Trump. This victory paves the way for Republicans to advance Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” which includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and $2 trillion in spending reductions over the next decade.
The New York Times reported that passage “came after a head-spinning hour in which Republican leaders tried to put down a revolt among conservatives who wanted deeper spending cuts, failed to do so, canceled the budget vote and then reversed course minutes later and summoned lawmakers to call the roll.”
Passage of this resolution was an essential first step for the GOP toward advancing the Trump agenda through Congress by reconciliation, a process that allows such legislation to pass the Senate by a simple majority vote (51 votes or 50 votes plus the vice president’s tie-breaking vote), avoiding the possibility of a filibuster.
Ahead of the vote, Johnson told reporters, “It’s sort of the kickoff in what will be a four-quarter game, and that very important, very consequential game begins as soon as we get this thing passed. This has been necessary because we promised to deliver President Trump’s full agenda, not just a part of it. We’re not just going to do a little bit now and return later for the rest. We have to do it now.”
The Wall Street Journal noted that the win was “a sign that the Republican-controlled Congress might be able to deliver major legislation despite slim majorities in the House and Senate.”
Still, the Journal pointed out that despite the resolution’s passage, “the path ahead isn’t straightforward.”
Tuesday’s vote sets up a conflict with the Senate, which favors larger tax cuts and plans to alter the House plan rather than accept it. That means another nail-biting House budget vote is on the horizon.
And even after the House and Senate agree on a budget, lawmakers will have to negotiate hundreds of details on taxes, healthcare, energy and food stamps before they can get a bill to Trump’s desk.
“Just one big step,” said House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington(R., Texas) after the vote. “One small step for Budget Committee, one big step for mankind.”
Regardless of the battles to come, the Trump agenda overcame its first major obstacle on Tuesday night. Had this resolution failed to pass, it would have significantly hindered Republicans’ efforts to advance Trump’s legislative agenda through Congress. It may also have dealt a blow to Johnson’s longevity as speaker.
Nothing can diminish the fact that this victory was a vital first step toward delivering America from the harm inflicted upon it from four years of progressive governance.
Elizabeth writes commentary for The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation and a member of the Editorial Board at The Sixteenth Council, a London think tank. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
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