Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Monday that Republicans are nearing an agreement on President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” of domestic priorities, but he suggested it will take two more days of internal discussions before the deal is sealed.
“We’re almost there, and I’m very optimistic that we will find the right equilibrium point to get this bill delivered,” Johnson said as he entered the Capitol on Monday afternoon. “It’s going to be a big thing for the country.”
Johnson said no deal has been finalized on the changes to the GOP budget bill what he’s calling the “clean-up amendment” which Republicans are hoping to pass through the Rules Committee in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. But he was confident the sides would pass the package through the House by his self-imposed Memorial Day deadline.
“None of that has been ultimately and finally decided because, as everyone knows around here, we have to build consensus around all those ideas,” he said.
Johnson and his leadership team are scrambling to win the support of two groups of holdouts: conservative spending hawks who want deeper cuts to Medicaid and green-energy subsides; and centrist lawmakers who want a steeper increase in the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap, which currently stands at $10,000.
“We’re going to have a lot of discussion among the conference over the next 48 hours, and that’s all part of it,” Johnson said of those final sticking points. “All I can say is, Stay tuned.”
Johnson dismissed recent press reports about the state of the negotiations, saying those reports have been “not fully informed.”
“I’ve seen a lot of conjecture out there,” he said, “but I wouldn’t put much stock in that.”
On Sunday night, shortly before the Budget Committee advanced an initial version of the package, Johnson said he wants to vote on the bill on Thursday.
