Mike Johnson Aims for April to Pass Major MAGA Bill Amid GOP Doubts

Washington: Speaker Mike Johnson is pushing to get a major bill through the House by April. He wants to bundle President Trump’s key policies into one big package. This includes border security, energy, and tax reforms, along with spending cuts and a debt ceiling increase.

But it’s a tough sell. Johnson’s majority is razor-thin, and he’s not expecting any Democratic support. With a 219-215 margin, it could drop to 217-215 soon. Johnson aims to kick off the budget process by late February, but GOP senators are doubtful about the plan.

Senator John Cornyn pointed out that the House is in a tricky spot. He thinks they need to recognize that what the House can pass might not match what the Senate can handle. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader John Thune is advocating for breaking the bill into two parts, focusing first on border funding, which has more GOP backing.

The debate over one bill versus two continues, especially after Trump met with Senate Republicans to discuss strategy. Some senators, like Kevin Cramer, suggest letting the House try their approach while the Senate works on a smaller border-focused bill.

Cramer believes the Senate can give the House until April, but warns that time is running out. He thinks border funding is more urgent than tax issues, which could take longer to sort out.

Senator Ted Cruz mentioned that the new administration is ready to tackle immigration but could use more resources right away. Chuck Grassley, who leads the Senate Judiciary Committee, is in touch with Trump’s team about the immigration aspects of the bill.

Grassley noted that the estimated cost for border security could be between $80 billion and $100 billion. Senator Thom Tillis emphasized the need for tough spending cuts to make the bill more palatable.

Tillis also raised concerns about lifting the debt ceiling along party lines, suggesting that some provisions could be negotiated separately with Democrats to ease pressure on Republicans.

For now, Republicans are looking to expand the SALT deduction in their bill to win over House members from high-tax states. Some lawmakers are pushing for a better deal on SALT deductions, knowing their votes are crucial for the bill’s success.

Experts say Johnson’s April deadline is ambitious, given the complexities of the Senate budget process. It’s a tall order, but not impossible if they can align on revenue targets and other details.