Johnson faces intense pressure to secure budget approval in turmoil-stricken financial markets
In the heat of economic anxiety, Speaker Mike Johnson and his team are pulling out all the stops on Tuesday, desperate to persuade GOP hardliners to fall in line for a crucial House vote this week. This vote will set Congress in motion to take on President Donald Trump's initial legislative package.
The pressure is already mounting, with Trump eager for a political triumph in his first 100 days. However, the global trade war has sent financial markets spinning, raising the stakes significantly. Now, it's a race against time—Johnson and his team insist there's no room for error on the tax cuts, border security, and spending reductions bill.
"I think my colleagues understand that markets don't like uncertainty. And I think there's sort of renewed initiative behind this," said South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson, a leadership ally. He emphasized the need for the GOP to present a clear economic growth plan to help stabilize jittery markets.
Trump is personally leading the charge, summoning skeptical Republicans to the White House for a meeting later on Tuesday. Johnson, too, is applying pressure, having met with the hard-right House Freedom Caucus the night before, and threatening to keep members in Washington over the weekend if they don't deliver.
In a private meeting Tuesday morning, Johnson underscored the urgency for unity within the GOP, urging members to "get it done" and move on to tackling Trump's actual agenda. The Louisiana Republican needs his conference to endorse the Senate GOP's budget blueprint to set the stage for drafting Trump's broader agenda, despite significant differences on spending plans between the two chambers.
However, as of Tuesday morning, Republican leaders were still grappling with at least a dozen firm "no" votes and numerous undecided members. When asked about the potential vote on Wednesday, Johnson told CNN: "Currently, that's the plan."
At the heart of the tension is conservatives' fear that the Senate GOP won't adhere to substantial spending cuts, as their bill only outlines $4 billion in cuts, far less than the House's $1.5 trillion. House and Senate leaders have urged conservatives to trust the process, arguing that the amount of cuts is merely a floor to provide the Senate with maximum flexibility within complex chamber rules.
"The Senate budget does not reduce deficits. The Senate budget would increase deficits," Texas Rep. Chip Roy said. "I'm tired of the fake math in the swamp, and that’s what it is. It’s fake math."
Johnson's moderate members have also expressed concerns about the proposed spending cuts. He spent Monday night huddling with these members to reassure them, knowing he has little room for error with only three votes to spare on the floor.
Despite the challenges, GOP leaders remain optimistic they can secure the necessary votes. Trump's ability to unite the GOP conference has left even Democrats surprised. After years of rejecting short-term spending bills, the president was able to convince nearly every House Republican to back a bill that kept the government funded through September.
Leadership is emphasizing that the real fight lies ahead once the budget passes and negotiators from both the Senate and House begin crafting a massive tax and spending cut bill. Their challenge will be to forge an alliance between swing-district Republicans and conservatives behind the spending reductions.
"I have tried to make the point this is not the real fight," House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole of Louisiana said. "You either trust your leadership or you don't. You either trust the President or you don't."
Behind the scenes, Johnson has been conferring with some of his most vulnerable members, working to assure them that the House and Senate will collaborate closely to find a compromise on tax cuts and spending reductions before forcing vulnerable members to cast their votes on the floor.
"The House has to do its work, and we're going to do it in close collaboration with the Senate and the White House, and all of that will begin as soon as we can get past start," Johnson told reporters Monday night. "Time is not ... our friend here. We have to get this done. We have to deliver for the American people. This is all of our priorities wrapped into one big, beautiful bill, and we can't get to the bill unless we get the resolution done."
When asked for his pitch to skeptical far-right members, Johnson replied: "We got to continue moving the ball up the field, and that’s my message to these colleagues."
- South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson, a leadership ally, emphasized the need for the GOP to present a clear economic growth plan on Monday to help stabilize jittery markets, as markets don't like uncertainty.
- Johnson has been conferring with some of his most vulnerable members behind the scenes, working to assure them that the House and Senate will collaborate closely to find a compromise on tax cuts and spending reductions before forcing vulnerable members to cast their votes on the floor.
- With only three votes to spare on the floor, Johnson spent Monday night huddling with his moderate members to reassure them about the proposed spending cuts, as he knows he has little room for error.
