Two Ways About It: House And Senate Chart Different Paths For Trump Budget Priorities And Tax Cuts

The GOP-led House and Senate are pressing ahead with tax and budget legislation to implement President Donald Trump‘s second-term agenda.

The Senate is going with a two-step approach, with one focused on certain priorities such as border security, and the second dealing with tax break extensions, according to the Associated Press.

Senate Budget Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) scheduled meetings this week to consider what is reported to be a $340 billion plan, which also tackles energy, the military, and spending.

Lawmakers plan to use the budget reconciliation process, which in the Senate requires only 51 votes to pass rather than 60, giving the GOP more breathing room with its 53-47 majority.

Before taking office, Trump said he wanted “one big, beautiful bill,” but a week after his inauguration, he declared that he did not care if it ended up being split into two.

However, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is vying for a single bill, arguing on “Fox News Sunday” that it “gives us the highest probability of success of delivering” Trump’s campaign promises.

Johnson told anchor Shannon Bream there would be a budget markup this week, though he conceded that dealing with the GOP’s slim majority might take some time.

“I’ve got to make sure everyone agrees before we bring the project forward — that final product — and we’ve got a few more boxes to check, but we’re getting very, very close,” Johnson said.

In a post to X, Graham said that he hopes the House can “find a way forward on a bigger budget reconciliation bill” but stressed that the Senate “cannot allow” the moment to pass.

During a meeting at the White House last week, Trump laid out his administration’s “tax priorities” to House Republicans, his press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Leavitt listed them, including Trump’s proposals for no tax on tips, no tax on seniors’ Social Security, no tax on overtime pay, and renewing the 2017 middle-class tax cuts.

She also mentioned adjusting the SALT deduction cap, eliminating tax breaks for billionaire sports team owners, closing the carried interest loophole, and tax cuts for products made in America.

“This will be the largest tax cut in history for middle-class working Americans,” Leavitt said. “The president is committed to working with Congress to get this done.”