House Republicans have been putting in long hours to satisfy President Donald Trump’s call for a sweeping budget package, one that could encompass an estimated $3 trillion in tax incentives, large-scale spending reductions, and a potential increase in the nation’s debt ceiling.
After a protracted White House meeting, Speaker Mike Johnson led GOP lawmakers into late-night sessions as they raced toward a self-imposed Friday deadline. Their goal: to draft a piece of legislation that can begin its complicated journey through Congress, ultimately landing on the president’s desk. Although Republicans initially planned to outline a bill earlier, they missed that target and are now determined to keep moving forward.
Trump’s directive, as he made appearances throughout the nearly five-hour White House gathering on Thursday, was straightforward: Make it happen.
“He has a real talent for articulating the final outcome he wants us to achieve,” said Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., who chairs the House GOP Conference. She spoke to reporters after the meeting, explaining the president’s style of leadership.
Among the House GOP’s top priorities for the emerging budget plan: extend tax cuts that are set to expire at the end of this year, shrink spending on federal programs, and guarantee that Trump has sufficient funds to launch his promised deportation operation and complete the U.S.-Mexico border wall. The legislation could also involve raising the debt ceiling, allowing additional borrowing to avert a potential government default.
In Washington, the undertaking poses a formidable test, and Republican lawmakers in both the House and Senate have looked to the president for clear guidance on how to shape the measure. Trump, however, has been largely quiet when it comes to the specifics, repeatedly emphasizing that he simply wants results.
Tensions are mounting for Republicans as precious days slip by with little tangible progress on what was supposed to be their premier agenda item while holding power in both chambers of Congress. Meanwhile, phone lines at congressional offices are being flooded by citizens outraged at cost-saving measures spearheaded by billionaire Elon Musk, which target various federal programs, services, and operations.
Lawmakers said the president opened Thursday’s session by setting the tone, then left them to dig into the intricate details. Senate Republicans are scheduled to meet with Trump at his private Mar-a-Lago resort on Friday to continue discussions.
“Today brought very encouraging progress,” Johnson stated upon returning to the Capitol. “We appreciate the president for stepping in and doing what he excels at—steadying the ship and uniting everyone behind a common objective.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump and lawmakers discussed “the Trump administration’s chief tax objectives,” including the president’s pledge to eliminate federal taxes on tips, Social Security benefits, and overtime wages. Restoring the 2017 tax cuts Trump enacted also featured prominently, she added.
“The president stands ready to collaborate with Congress to ensure this is completed,” Leavitt affirmed.
Securing House approval for any measure over Democratic resistance requires near-total unity among Republicans, given the narrow majority. In the Senate, Republicans currently hold a 53-47 edge, allowing them only limited defections.
Late Thursday, House Republicans regrouped at the Capitol to confirm that all members were prepared to endorse the developing framework, particularly the substantial spending cuts that could trigger unease among legislators wary of the ramifications for essential federal services nationwide.
Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, who leads the House Budget Committee, indicated his panel intends to hold hearings on the package next week to further refine the details.
However, as Johnson’s timetable has already slipped, the Senate appears to be taking more initiative. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and fellow Republicans are championing a two-phase strategy. The first stage would introduce a smaller bill, estimated at $300 billion, that includes funding for Trump’s border wall and deportation operations alongside other key GOP objectives. The second stage would pursue more comprehensive tax-break extensions before the current legislation sunsets at year’s end.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., chair of the Senate Budget Committee, announced that his committee would also move forward with hearings next week to jump-start the legislative process.
This dueling approach has triggered a kind of competition between the House and the Senate, with each chamber vying to demonstrate the greatest progress toward shared Republican ambitions.
House Republicans remain committed to what Trump has called a “big, beautiful bill,” one that would renew roughly $3 trillion in tax cuts and fund the administration’s large-scale deportation initiative as well as the completion of the border wall. This proposal contains massive budget rollbacks to various federal programs—ranging from healthcare services to nutrition assistance—to help offset the cost of the tax breaks.
By contrast, the Senate’s slimmer proposal targets about $300 billion, primarily designated for border security and bolstering defense, with the bulk of that spending recouped by reversing certain Biden-era clean energy initiatives.
Disagreements over Graham’s more modest plan run deep in the House GOP. Nevertheless, there are also substantial internal divisions among Republicans over their own preferred measure. Party leaders have offered cuts that they predict will yield $1 trillion in federal savings over the next decade, but conservative members, particularly within the House Freedom Caucus, are pushing for at least twice that amount in reductions.
Although Trump has been firm about wanting his top-line priorities enacted, he has signaled less concern about which approach lawmakers use, as long as those goals are ultimately met.
McClain, reflecting on the evolution of the talks since the House GOP’s first meeting with Trump at the White House last month, likened that initial encounter to “a great first date.” This week’s conference with the president, she said, felt more like a deeper discussion about whether to “start a family.”
“This meeting was truly different,” McClain observed. “It remained constructive and forward-looking, but it was also distinctly focused on hammering out the details and getting the job done.”