House GOP Makes Another Attempt to Advance Trump’s Budget Plan Following Setback

The Budget Committee’s Balancing Act

Just like any given Sunday, you expect things to roll smoothly-or maybe not? In Washington, the House Budget Committee was set to try-again-to push forward President Trump’s domestic policy bill. Conservatives had already staged a mini-revolt on Friday, arguing that the spending cuts didn’t dig deep enough.

The scene could be compared to a tense movie plot twist-just missing the dramatic background score. Five Republicans, a lineup including Texas’ Chip Roy and Ralph Norman from South Carolina, decided to stand their ground. They weren’t satisfied and, in a game of strategy, turned their thumbs down. Yet, Lloyd Smucker of Pennsylvania offered a tiny glimmer of hope, flipping his vote last-minute, suggesting he wasn’t entirely out of the game.

The Democrats, meanwhile, remained consistent, not giving an inch-perhaps predictably. This stalemate meant the bill didn’t advance, given the Republicans’ thin majority in the House. One misstep, and the whole house of cards might topple. A little precarious? Yeah, you could say that.

House Speaker Mike Johnson seemed determined to keep the train on the tracks. Despite the turbulence, his goal remains getting the legislation-which would extend tax cuts from Trump’s first term and temporarily end taxes on tips and overtime-up for discussion before Memorial Day. Ambitious? Maybe, but Johnson has remained steadfast. The proposed tax measures also come with a twist: more military spending and increased border security, with a hint of austerity by slicing Medicaid, food stamps, and clean energy subsidies.

On “Fox News Sunday,” Johnson voiced his plan: get the bill through committee, then to the Rules Committee, and finally, to the House floor by week’s end. A tight timeline, but sometimes that’s how these things go. Conservatives have taken issue with Medicaid work requirements being set too far into the future. Ending clean energy subsidies from Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act was also on their wishlist.

Chip Roy, just hours before the committee’s reconvening, tweeted progress, albeit not enough to call it a day. A smidge hopeful? Perhaps. Check it out here.

In a parallel subplot, Republicans from blue states aren’t too thrilled either. If the bill doesn’t raise the cap on state and local tax deductions-currently slated to go up from $10,000 to $30,000-they might just sit the vote out. A few New York Republicans want even more. Adding to the intrigue, a last-minute bid to raise the top income tax rate was floating around, though the idea didn’t win many fans among the party leaders.

Amid the frenzy, Rep. Nick LaLota of New York had his own plan: a tax increase for high earners, potentially satisfying conservatives’ demand for more cuts while helping fund state and local deductions. It’s a balancing act, this game of politics. LaLota even floated his thoughts online, capturing the attention of his colleagues.

As the clock ticks down, Mr. Trump, returning from his Middle Eastern visit, isn’t playing coy. “STOP TALKING, AND GET IT DONE!” he blasted on Truth Social. Bold words, but words are sometimes just the start.

For more details, see this background on crime trends.