President-elect Donald Trump is pushing for one reconciliation bill that will include his border, energy, and tax policy priorities, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA ) told Republicans in a closed-door meeting on Saturday, according to a report.
The maneuver creates a contentious debate as Trump attempts to squeeze his ambitious plan into one piece of legislation before his commencement on January 20. This is in opposition to some Democratic leadership in the House and Senate.
House and Senate Republicans in late December endorsed a two-step strategy to adopt Trump’s plan early next Congress, ensuring a , border security-focused healing act is prioritized in January 2025, followed by duty legislation.
House , Freedom Caucus , Chairman Andy Harris (R-MD) and Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL ) sent a letter in mid-December to now-Senate Republican Leader John Thune (R-SD ) and Johnson that stressed the need to prioritize the prompt passage of a border security-focused reconciliation bill at the beginning of the 119th , Congress. Additionally, they made reference to a second bill that would “include needed saving measures and cuts” while extending the Trump administration’s tax reductions.
Thune even suggested that Republicans should concentrate their first healing resolution on border cash, energy production, and defence spending while omitting tax-related provisions from a second piece of legislation after in the year.  ,
In the background, Trump is pushing for one deal given the limited author’s race, which saw Johnson win the givel in the first round of votes on Friday, which could make maneuvering both bills more difficult in addition to an already challenging situation in the House.
Harris dissented from the two-to-one bill transition and did not initially support Johnson’s election as chamber leader for the next two years. He also broke with the majority of the GOP.
Meanwhile, others in the House, including Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO), who endorsed a single bill from the start, has long championed one single package.
” It shows the best and quickest approach to deliver for President Trump is one beautiful, big package”, Smith said in December.
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The first reconciliation bill would have funded the construction of the border wall, increased immigration detention space, promoted self-deportation of illegal immigrants into the United States, and more. It would also have funded the construction of the border wall, pay for hiring thousands of federal law enforcement at U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
If lawmakers don’t renew Trump’s first-term tax cuts, the lawmakers said the second budget reconciliation should concentrate on preventing the massive increase that will go into effect on January 1, 2026.
