Johnson facing opposition in quest to get Trump’s budget bill passed

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is once again failing to get control of the caucus to have everyone on the same page regarding the upcoming budget legislation.

It is now to the point that Johnson is pivoting away from the House budget to the version passed by the Senate, but there are some key members not buying in.

The House Bill

In February, Johnson managed to get a spending bill passed in the House by the skin of his teeth

The bill passed with a 217-215 vote, as there were clearly members of the GOP caucus that wanted to seem more cuts, which is what the American people were told would happen if the GOP won this election.

When push came to shove, while there were Republicans who initially opposed the bill, only Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) stood his ground and voted against the legislation.

One of the main concerns was possible cuts from Social Security and Medicaid, but Trump has been adamant that while he wants to overhaul the programs, they are both safe.

Not the Senate Plan

The Senate had about all it could take from the House on the main budget bill, so it started to move forward with its own proposal, finally passing the bill after a marathon session on Friday night.

The bill passed much like the earlier House bill... barely. The bill passed with a 51-48 vote, as Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Susan Collins (R-ME) both voted against the legislation.

The bill had no sooner passed when House members stated they would reject the legislation.

Not Happening

Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX) was among the first to trash the Senate bill, calling it “unserious and disappointing.” He noted the House sent the Senate a “fiscally responsible budget,” yet the Senate was intent on passing its legislation.

Speaker Johnson (R-LA) announced the House would consider the Senate bill next week, stating,  "More than a year ago, the House began discussing the components of a reconciliation package that will reduce the deficit, secure our border, keep taxes low for families and job creators, reestablish American energy dominance, restore peace through strength, and make government more efficient and accountable to the American people. We are now one step closer to achieving those goals.”

But once again, the resistance in the House was more than enough to create concern, with Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) announcing that he would not back the bill, stating, "If the Senate’s 'Jekyll and Hyde' budget is put on the House floor, I will vote no.

"In the classic ways of Washington, the Senate’s budget presents a fantastic top-line message – that we should return spending back to the pre-COVID trajectory (modified for higher interest, Medicare, and Social Security) of $6.5 Trillion, rather than the current trajectory of over $7 Trillion – but has ZERO enforcement to achieve it, and plenty of signals it is designed purposefully NOT to achieve it."

This is a hot mess for the GOP, and they have to have this figured out because the clock is ticking and we are running out of time. This is what is so frustrating, especially when we see leadership always waiting until the last minute rather than hashing all this out months ahead of time. Now, Johnson is facing yet another deadline with a House in complete and utter disarray.