House Speaker Optimistic About Trump’s Bill Progress

House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed a sense of “further momentum” for advancing President Donald Trump’s key legislation on Wednesday evening.

Johnson initiated a series of votes to push forward the president’s ambitious bill earlier that day, although procedural votes dragged on for over three hours as House GOP leaders and Trump engaged with some dissenters regarding their concerns. A faction of conservative lawmakers temporarily halted progress by quickly passing an amended version of the bill from the Senate. Critics in the Senate noted that budget deficits have surged beyond $50 trillion and that green energy subsidies will not be cut immediately.

“There’s a lot of positive momentum, and we’re feeling optimistic about the outcome,” Johnson told reporters. “The Senate has made some revisions, but the really significant aspects of this legislation matter greatly to the American public, and much of our agenda is encapsulated in this law, so it needs to pass. We have to deliver for the people.”

Given the narrow majority of House Republicans at 220-212, Johnson can only afford to lose a few votes. It’s important to note that all House Democrats are expected to unite against the president’s domestic policy bill during the ongoing procedural votes and final considerations.

The delayed progress on this groundbreaking bill was marked by several GOP lawmakers, including holdouts, visiting the White House to discuss legislative strategy with the president.

Trump, noted for his adeptness in persuading dissenters, aimed to have the legislation ready for signing by July 4th.

A glimmer of good news emerged for Johnson on Wednesday evening. Republican Rep. Warren Davidson from Ohio, one of two GOP lawmakers initially against the bill, indicated he would support the revised legislation. “I wish it were a bit better, but I think it’s as good as we can get for now, especially ahead of July 4th,” Davidson shared. “If we delay further, the real concern becomes the debt limits, and I doubt we’ll secure a better proposal before the debt ceiling becomes an issue.”

Conversely, some members of the House Freedom Caucus have not settled on the same viewpoint.

“We weren’t happy with what the Senate put forth,” said Texas Rep. Chip Roy, addressing concerns shared within the Caucus. “I thought there was a potential way forward despite my issues from last week, but they stymied that. We’re working to understand our next steps.”

Roy emphasized the necessity to manage the interest on a hefty $600 billion. Meanwhile, HFC Chairman Andy Harris, who attended the White House meeting, mentioned that his apprehensions about the bill’s deficit impact are yet to be resolved. “The bottom line is that this isn’t ready for prime time,” Harris expressed. “The president didn’t intend for deficits to reach $75 trillion over the next decade.”

Harris added, “This won’t just pass through the House. We must negotiate with the Senate again; it’s simply how the legislative process functions.”

House conservatives defended their negative votes, asserting they wouldn’t allow Senate revisions to dictate outcomes that they felt were necessary.

The HFC provided a memo outlining over 15 issues with the Senate’s enhancements, chiefly regarding increased deficit spending.

“This wasn’t a promise made by our leadership,” the memo pointed out.

Roy mentioned a desire to amend the Senate bill to hasten the cessation of the Green Energy Tax Credit, ensuring a deficit-neutral tax and spending approach. “We’re not cutting enough; we need more efforts to manage spending appropriately,” Roy asserted, during comments made on social media.

House Republicans contended that the Senate’s proposals fell short of aligning with the House budget framework, indicating only minimal impacts on the deficit. The revised tax elements of the Senate bill are projected to cost approximately $540 billion more than the original House proposal, according to analyses from various organizations.

“The rules are challenged, and it’s not just from the Freedom Caucus,” Harris noted before the vote. “Leadership needs to consider bringing this back in line with the House framework.”

The White House aims to address conservative worries by highlighting potential economic growth stemming from the bill, projecting increased revenues leading to a more favorable financial outlook. “Nobody wants to discuss growth, yet that will be crucial in making this legislation a success,” Trump remarked on social media.

Despite some moderate Republicans being concerned that changes against Medicaid in the Senate bill might be excessive, none have publicly stated intentions to oppose the Senate bill’s final passage.

Moderate New Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew conveyed that some late adjustments regarding tax rates for Medicaid providers eased his apprehensions about voting in favor of procedural rules. “Three years is a long time—there’s room to revisit changes in the future,” he stated.

House GOP leadership remains hopeful that holdouts will eventually support the bill. They argue that although the Senate made some tweaks, the fundamental components of the initial House proposal still prevail. “When you look at the overall legislation, over 85% of what we passed weeks ago remains intact in this final version,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise noted on Wednesday.