As Tuesday got underway on Capitol Hill, House Speaker Mike Johnson and the rest of the House Republican leadership team had a specific goal in mind: pass a far-right budget plan. There was, however, one key hurdle standing in their way: They didn’t have the votes.
Given the tiny GOP majority in the chamber, GOP leaders had effectively no wiggle room, and a morning meeting with four Republican hardliners — Reps. Victoria Spartz of Indiana, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Warren Davidson of Ohio and Thomas Massie of Kentucky — made it clear to the House speaker that his budget blueprint was poised to fail.
Now seems like a good time for the political world to reassess the use of the word “moderate” when it comes to congressional Republicans.
Roll Call published a midday headline that said there was “no clear path” to success. Johnson told reporters that the vote might not happen at all.
As the scheduled vote neared, GOP leaders threw in the towel, canceled the floor vote, and told members they could go home for the night. Roughly 10 minutes later, those same Republican leaders reversed course, announced the vote was back on, told lawmakers to return, and managed to narrowly advance the plan that appeared to be doomed. NBC News reported:
Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday muscled a multitrillion-dollar budget blueprint through the House by the narrowest of margins — a crucial step for Republicans as they embark on advancing President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda. The vote was 217-215, with Republicans casting all of the votes in favor of the budget resolution. Just one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., joined all Democrats in voting against it.
This is a story with a lot of moving parts, so let’s unpack the developments with some Q&A.
What happened to the House Republicans who described themselves as firm no votes?
They folded under pressure. Spartz, Burchett and Davidson, in particular, stuck their necks out and said they would not vote for the budget resolution. Then they caved and did the opposite.
What about the “moderates” who recently expressed discomfort with the far-right plan?
Now seems like a good time for the political world to reassess the use of the word “moderate” when it comes to congressional Republicans. Plenty of GOP members, especially those from competitive districts, talked a good game — right up until it mattered, at which point they linked arms with their very conservative brethren.
Did Democrats fight the good fight?
There was simply no way for the Democratic minority to derail the GOP plan, but Democrats absolutely showed up and did what they could. In fact, Rep. Brittany Pettersen was expected to miss the vote because she recently had a baby, but the Colorado Democrat made it to the Hill anyway — with her newborn. Similarly, Rep. Kevin Mullin cast a vote, too, despite the fact that the California Democrat was recently discharged from the hospital after surgery. (Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, who’s receiving cancer treatment, was the only Democrat who missed the vote. His absence did not affect the outcome.)
Why does the budget resolution matter?
Republicans on Capitol Hill have an exceedingly ambitious list of legislative priorities. Without a budget resolution, they won’t be able to achieve any of them. This one step unlocks the door that moves the larger process forward.
What’s in the House GOP plan?
The nature of the budget process is to approve a relatively vague blueprint — with topline figures, but without specific details — and then fill in the gaps later. That said, what we know about the House Republicans’ plan is pretty brutal: As NBC News’ report explained, “The budget measure calls for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and a goal of $2 trillion in spending cuts. It includes more than $100 billion in new spending on immigration enforcement and the military.
It also requires the House Energy and Commerce Committee to find $880 billion in cuts to federal programs, and Republicans say some of that will come from reducing spending on Medicaid. And it raises the debt limit by $4 trillion.”
So are Republicans done? Is the budget a done deal?
Not even close. Senate Republicans last week passed a dramatically different budget plan of their own, and party officials will somehow have to come together and finalize a blueprint that can pass both chambers.
How will they do that?
No one has any idea.
And what’s Donald Trump’s role in all of this?
Members of both chambers have looked to the president to help guide the process, and for months, he’s offered vague and contradictory advice. That said, Trump played a direct role in leaning on House GOP members ahead of the budget vote, and he’s made clear to the party that he prefers the House’s approach to the Senate’s, which will add pressure on Senate Republicans to move toward the lower chamber’s plan.
That won’t be easy, though, as evidenced by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin conceding ahead of the House vote that the House GOP plan isn’t “passable in the Senate.”
With this in mind, House Republicans were in a celebratory mood after their budget plan advanced, and it’s easy to understand given that the alternative would’ve been a disaster. The intraparty drama, however, is just getting started.
