Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told Republican lawmakers on Saturday that President-elect Trump supports a conservative policy overhaul via a single large bill, three sources told Fox News Digital.
Trump wants both the House and Senate to have such a bill on his desk by May, the sources said. The president-elect’s buy-in will likely end the growing intraparty friction on how to pass Republican goals next year via a process known as “reconciliation,” which lawmakers plan to use to pass conservative policy and budget changes.
House Republicans met behind closed doors in Washington’s Fort McNair on Saturday to discuss the plan.
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Speaker Mike Johnson revealed to Republicans in a closed-door meeting that President-elect Trump wants one reconciliation bill. (AP/Getty)
Reconciliation allows the Senate to bypass its traditional 60-vote threshold in favor of a simple majority, provided the legislation is focused on budgetary and other fiscal matters.
Both parties have traditionally used reconciliation to pass broad policy changes in a single bill. But the legislation also goes through a strict assessment where the Senate parliamentarian is tasked with deciding what is and is not relevant to U.S. fiscal matters.
Notably, Democrats previously tried to use reconciliation to pass mass amnesty measures, but they were blocked.
Republicans might face similar issues with their push to add border security provisions to the bill. They’re also aiming to use it to extend Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017, as well as to pass measures on energy and defense.
The apparent decision by Johnson on Saturday comes after Congressional Republicans were at odds over whether to pass one or two reconciliation bills.
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New Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he wanted two reconciliation bills last year. (Reuters)
It is a process normally used…
