Republicans scramble to corral support for Trump megabill ahead of House vote
Share this @internewscast.com

WASHINGTON — House Republican leaders acted swiftly on Wednesday to advance their extensive domestic policy package after the Senate’s approval, launching an all-out effort and involving President Donald Trump to persuade a diverse group of undecided members.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., faces the challenge of keeping defections to only three to ensure the legislation passes with his slim majority, contingent on full attendance and Democratic opposition. Johnson held private discussions near Capitol Hill with the hard-line House Freedom Caucus members who are pushing for more significant spending reductions.

Over at the White House, Trump conducted multiple meetings with undecided members, according to one GOP lawmaker, including engagements with moderates from the Republican Main Street Caucus.

The bill must pass the House before Trump can sign it into law, which he wants to do by Friday, July 4.

Within hours of it narrowly passing the Senate on Tuesday, House Republicans advanced the bill through the Rules Committee in a 7-6 vote, with Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Ralph Norman, R-S.C., voting “no” due to concerns that it would add to the debt.

Several House conservatives complained that the spending cuts were insufficient after shrinking in the Senate package. They raged against the fact that various provisions were stripped out due to budget rules in the chamber, including immigration-related restrictions they strongly support.

But nearly all of those lawmakers have developed a track record of folding and voting in alignment with Trump when the pressure is on them. GOP leaders are counting on them to do so again.

One House Republican lawmaker said conservatives in the Freedom Caucus used to get political cover from groups like Club for Growth, but Trump has scrambled the calculus on the right. The Club for Growth is backing the bill, and conservative figures like Russell Vought and Stephen Miller are in Trump’s inner circle and some of the loudest cheerleaders for the package.

Freedom Caucus members “have no cover” if they vote no, the lawmaker said Wednesday. “Who’s going to protect them from Trump? Thomas Massie?”

Trump has been in a bitter feud with the conservative Massie, a Republican congressman from Kentucky, threatening to recruit a primary challenger against him after he was one of just two Republicans to vote against the bill in the House in May. Massie, who walks around Capitol Hill wearing a live debt clock, has said the legislation would make the deficit worse and has railed against it.

And politically vulnerable Republicans were unhappy with the more aggressive Medicaid cuts in the Senate bill, along with a series of clean energy funding rollbacks that they warned against.

The Senate-passed bill would add $3.3 trillion to the national debt over 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which found that the loss of revenue from tax cuts would outstrip the spending cuts in the legislation.

The legislation would extend the tax cuts Trump signed into law in 2017 while boosting funding for immigration enforcement and the military. It would also makes significant cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and clean energy funding, while raising the debt limit by $5 trillion.

On the Capitol steps Wednesday morning, Democrats blasted the legislation as a massive tax cut for the wealthiest Americans, paid for by slashing programs that help the working class.

“It is the cruelest bill that I’ve ever seen in my tenure in the House of Representatives,” said Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, who has served in the House since 1988.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Trump Engages in Conflict Contrary to Stated Aversion to Middle Eastern Involvement

In a surprising turn of events, President Donald Trump has led the…

Tragic Incident: 22 Fatalities and Over 120 Injuries Amid Protesters’ Attempted Breach at US Consulate in Pakistan

In a dramatic escalation of tensions in the Middle East, violence erupted…

Iranian-Backed Militias Enter the Fray: Escalating Tensions in Widening Conflict

The already volatile situation in the Middle East took a dramatic turn…

From Angry Birds to Flappy Bird: The Iconic Mobile Games That Defined a Generation

In the early 2010s, mobile games like Angry Birds and Subway Surfers…

US Futures Dip, Asian Markets Decline Amid Surge in Oil Prices Following US-Israel Strikes on Iran

BANGKOK – A wave of U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran…

Scream 7′ Achieves Franchise Record with $64.1 Million Opening Weekend for Paramount

NEW YORK – “Scream” continues to slash its way to success. Three…

Exciting Upgrades at Warriors’ Path State Park: Renovations Aim to Enhance Visitor Experience

Visitors to Warriors’ Path State Park in Kingsport, Tenn., might observe some…

Watch Now: Adorable Second Eaglet Hatches in Johnson City Nest – A Must-See Wildlife Moment!

In an exciting turn of events for wildlife enthusiasts, the second eaglet…

Historic Documents Embark on Nationwide Tour for 250th Anniversary Celebration

In a historic move, some of the United States’ most significant documents…

India and Canada Forge Stronger Economic Partnership to Reset Bilateral Relations

NEW DELHI – On Monday, India and Canada took significant steps to…