WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans are determined to move forward with their plan to kickstart President Donald Trump’s agenda on immigration, energy, and defense, despite the president’s call for them to instead support a sweeping resolution prepared by House Republicans.
Majority Leader John Thune announced on Wednesday that the Senate will still push ahead with their smaller bill, after a lunch meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Senate Republicans. This comes after Trump took to social media to urge Republicans to drop their plan and support the House’s “one big beautiful bill” that includes trillions of dollars in tax cuts.
However, House Republicans fear that the Senate’s “skinny” plan could jeopardize their chances of extending Trump’s tax cuts in their own chamber, where they hold a narrow majority. But Thune remains confident that both chambers will be able to pass their respective budgets and ultimately achieve the president’s objectives.
“In the end, we’ll be able to, whether it’s one bill or two bills, to get all the things that the president’s outlined — his objectives — across the finish line,” said Thune.
Some Republicans, like Senator Josh Hawley, expressed confusion about the plan to proceed with the smaller bill after Trump’s message. “It seems a little strange to me,” Hawley said. “But if the president supports it and I have some assurance of that, I’ll support it. But it just seems a little bizarre to me. I can’t quite figure out what we’re doing.”
On the other hand, Democrats have promised to put up a fight against the Republican budget resolution. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York called it a “sinister front” for cutting taxes for Trump’s wealthy friends.
The Senate’s budget resolution, which amounts to $340 billion for fiscal year 2025, includes funding for tighter border security, Trump’s deportation of undocumented immigrants, energy deregulation, and an increase in military spending. Republicans claim that the plan will be offset by cuts in other areas.
The House’s budget resolution also includes these priorities, along with a whopping $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. However, they plan to cover the cost through $2 trillion in spending cuts and accelerated economic growth, mainly through tax and energy policy changes.
Both chambers of Congress must pass the same budget resolution in order to use a parliamentary tool that would allow Republicans to enact Trump’s legislative agenda without facing opposition from Democrats and the Senate filibuster.
In recent weeks, Republican lawmakers have backed away from concerns about adding to the nation’s growing debt with Trump’s proposed tax cuts. The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates that Trump’s full tax cut agenda could cost over $5 trillion in the next decade.
House Republicans welcomed Trump’s intervention as they try to rally support for a floor vote on their own budget blueprint next week. House Speaker Mike Johnson, Thune’s Republican counterpart, tweeted, “@realDonaldTrump is right! House Republicans are working to deliver President Trump’s FULL agenda – not just a small part of it. Let’s get it done, @HouseGOP!”
The difference between the House and Senate strategies lies in Trump’s proposed tax cuts. House Republicans are concerned that the two-step Senate approach could lead to a standalone tax cut bill getting stalled if lawmakers cannot agree on spending cuts to offset the cost. On the other hand, Senate Republicans worry that rushing for an all-encompassing bill may not leave enough time to properly handle the complexities of the tax component.
Senate Republicans began moving forward with their own budget resolution last week in response to a plea from Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan and White House budget director Russ Vought for funding for border and immigration issues.
Despite the differing approaches, both chambers remain committed to passing a budget resolution that will support Trump’s agenda. As Thune said, “In the end, we all want the same thing – to move forward with the president’s priorities and deliver for the American people.”
