Exclusive: Andy Harris, Chairman of House Freedom Caucus, R-Md. said he would oppose the Senate version of the Cleaning Act to advance President Donald Trump’s agenda if voted in his room this week.
“At this point, I’ll vote against it,” Harris told Fox News Digital in an interview Monday morning.
He also asks the House and Senate to work on their own version of the plan after passing an amended version of the former law early on Saturday morning.
The Maryland Republican, who leads House GOP’s most conservative group, is, so far, the best GOP lawmaker to oppose the law.
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House Freedom Caucus Speaker Andy Harris is opposed to House Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan to vote for the Senate version of the Congress’ Trump-focused settlement bill. (Getty Images)
This has arisen as concerns about the laws of other fiscal Hawks laws. In particular, homes that cost between $1.5 trillion and $2 trillion require spending cuts of at least $4 billion.
“So if the Senate can actually implement meaningful deficit reductions, then the Senate amendment can pass House budget resolutions,” Harris said.
“But again, I don’t want to do that until I see what the actual deficit reduction the Senate has in mind.”
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They can pass such measures through the budget adjustment process. As one party was traditionally used when administering all three branches of the government, the settlement lowers the Senate threshold for the passage of certain fiscal measures from 60 to 51 votes.
As a result, it has been used to pass widespread policy changes to one or two enormous laws.
The House framework was passed in late February, including new funding for defense and border security, as well as $4.5 trillion to implement new Trump proposals, including an extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Employment Act and no wage tax.
The framework also called for spending cuts of between $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion, depending on how much Trump’s tax policy adds to the national deficit. This was key to winning support from the deficit Hawks.
South Dakota Sen. John Tune speaks to reporters on Tuesday, February 11, 2025 after a Senate Policy Luncheon at Capitol Hill, Washington, DC (AP Photo/Jaclyn Martin)
We also raised debt restrictions. This is what Trump called for Republicans to specifically deal with $4 trillion. The Senate version will raise debt limits by $5 trillion.
In a letter to a colleague at GOP on Sunday, R-LA House Speaker Mike Johnson said lawmakers will vote for the revised Senate this week.
However, Johnson argued that with the passage of that Senate framework, the House would only start working on a version of the bill passed in February, and that would never hinder the process.
“The passed Senate amendment will not change the House settlement instructions that we voted only a few weeks ago. The Senate chose to take a different approach to that direction, but the revised resolution will not prevent us from achieving our goals in the final settlement bill,” the letter states.
“We continue to make it clear in all discussions with the Senate and the White House that the final settlement bill should include historical spending cuts while protecting essential programs to ensure the home passes.”
Johnson’s office pointed out the letter Monday when it received it for comment.
Passing the settlement framework simply outlines the topline spending figures and allows Congress to proceed to the next step of actually creating policies that accompany those toplines.
But conservatives like Harris have refuted that they don’t think they need to vote for a version of the Senate bill to start working in the House.
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“They believe they have to keep the train moving forward, but once again, if they just start creating the actual settlement package, the train will continue to move forward,” Harris said.
He left the door open to support Senate work despite eliminating support for its immediate offering.
“I think we should still ask the Senate to begin writing a settlement bill, and if they fulfill their promise to cut the deficit, I’m fine with their budget resolution,” Harris said.
Elizabeth Elkind is the main reporter of Fox News Digital’s reporting in the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen on Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow me on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to Elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
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