Chicago January 5, 2025
President-elect Trump has thrown his support behind a single large bill to overhaul conservative policies, according to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. Trump wants both the House and Senate to pass the bill by May, sources told.
This move is expected to end the growing disagreement among Republicans on how to pass their goals next year. The party plans to use a process called “reconciliation” to pass conservative policy and budget changes.
Reconciliation allows the Senate to bypass its usual 60-vote threshold and pass bills with a simple majority, as long as they focus on budgetary and fiscal matters.
However, some Republicans had suggested splitting their priorities into two bills – one for border and defense, and another for preserving Trump’s tax policy. But this idea was met with resistance from Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee, who warned that two reconciliation bills could be too difficult to pass.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., argued that Congress should focus on a single bill that includes border, energy, permitting, and tax policies. “We can deliver on that,” he said.
