President-elect Donald Trump’s winter White House will host a parade of House Republicans this weekend, but with everyone listening to the next commander-in-chief, an ideologically diverse group of lawmakers will weigh in on large conservative policies. We hope that this review will help us come together as one. .
It is also likely to be another test of Trump’s power over Republicans in Congress and whether his influence is enough to overcome longstanding rifts in fiscal policy.
“The president has multiple factions, right? It’s not just one or the other. The goal is to have a consistent understanding of what we can accomplish,” one Republican told Fox News Digital. he said. “No one disagrees with this big goal, broadly speaking. But there are very specific issues that cause people concern, and we have to solve them.”
On Friday, President Trump hosted members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, several of whom voted against a government funding bill that the president-elect explicitly supported last month.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson (left) and other House Republicans are scheduled to meet with President-elect Donald Trump over the weekend after convening multiple groups for a series of meetings. (Getty/AP)
He also plans to meet with Republican leaders, House committee chairs and Republican lawmakers from blue states.
This comes amid disagreements among Congressional Republicans on how to proceed with the budget reconciliation process. This mechanism generally allowed one party in control of the government to advance its agenda through one giant bill.
More specifically, reconciliation lowers the Senate passage threshold from 60 votes to a simple majority, making it on par with the House.
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In a settlement, only the budget and other fiscal measures are passed. But both parties have traditionally sought to stretch these conditions to advance as many of their agendas as possible. Republican leaders have signaled they want to use the settlement to address border security, energy policy and national defense, as well as extend President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts.
However, there is wide disagreement about whether to split these goals in half. Supporters of a two-track approach believe that passing the first bill on border and energy policy would allow Republicans to score early wins there while spending more time on tax policy.
The meeting will be held at Mar-a-Lago, Florida. (Getty Images)
But proponents of just one bill argue that two reconciliation bills haven’t been passed in decades, given the enormous political capital required to create one. claims. They warn that this strategy could put President Trump’s tax cuts at risk of expiring.
The House Republican conference is also at odds on other details, including whether to use the settlement to increase the cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions. It’s a move backed by blue-state Republicans who represent New York City and the Los Angeles suburbs. , but local representatives are against it.
“I think it’s going to be a good discussion. I think this is a great opportunity for us to have a discussion, not just SALT…This is a great opportunity for us, as you know, to have blue-state Republicans come out and support our priorities. He gave it to me,” said Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis. Y.
A new congestion tax for the Big Apple, tax breaks for seniors living on Social Security and using the tax law to bring drug manufacturing back to the United States were all items on Malliotakis’ agenda.
“I have a much broader agenda than just SALT, but SALT is especially important to our members in New York,” she said.
Rep. Barry Moore (R-Ala.), a member of the House Freedom Caucus, suggested the border would be a top priority in the group’s talks with Trump.
“The important thing is how do we move forward? It’s going to cost us some money to protect our borders, it’s going to cost us some money to hire more people, but at the same time we’re going to spend as much money as we can. We have to cut back,”’ Moore told FOX News Digital.
“We need to be on the same page, and I think Mr. Trump will have an opportunity to hear us, but we will have an opportunity to hear him as well.”
Rep. Russell Frey (RS.C.), a staunch ally of President Trump, said he would be at Mar-a-Lago again this weekend and dismissed concerns about disagreements on issues such as SALT.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis is one of several Republicans from blue states who will meet with President-elect Donald Trump. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
“I think dialogue is important. At the end of the day, we have to do something for the American people. So while people feel differently about different issues, “It’s important to have a dialogue to see how we can solve this together,” he said.
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Mr. Trump himself has not made public what exactly he hopes to pass through the settlement. He said he supports a one-bill approach but is open to two bills.
Malliotakis and other Republicans on the tax-focused House Ways and Means Committee are sponsoring one bill.
But members of the House Freedom Caucus doubted that would happen.
“I think we’re going to be talking about the big picture when it comes to reconciliation. I think it’s probably going to be two bills instead of one bill. But I think it’s going to happen naturally. There’s no need to force it.” ” they said.
Elizabeth Elkind is a political reporter for FOX News Digital, where she leads coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines can be found on the Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow @liz_elkind on Twitter and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com.
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