House lawmakers pressed through marathon committee sessions Wednesday to advance President Trump's legislative agenda, even as Republicans remain deadlocked on key issues including taxes and Medicaid that could delay or thwart passage of the bill by next week.
The gripes from conservatives are centered on the House Energy and Commerce Committee's portion of the sprawling package, which beefs up work requirements for Medicaid and imposes more frequent eligibility checks but stops short of more substantial changes — such as siphoning federal funding away from states.
The Committee, in a 30-to-24 party-line vote, advanced the health care section of the GOP's sweeping tax bill on Wednesday.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found the panel's work would reduce deficits by more than $880 billion by 2034, exceeding the instructions laid out in the budget resolution.
But hard-liners, including Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), are unconvinced by the CBO's "funny math."
"In my opinion they don't go far enough," said Burlison, a member of the House Freedom Caucus who does not support the package.
While the bill is estimated to reduce federal spending in line with GOP goals, 8.6 million people would lose insurance based on the CBO's estimate — stoking concerns among members in both chambers.
▪ The Hill: The House Agriculture Committee voted to advance legislation that would make significant changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
▪ The New York Times: Almost all of the cuts that Republicans hope to pass in the coming weeks will last only until Trump is set to leave office.
▪ Politico: Perks now, pain later: 12 ways Trump's megabill pushes tradeoffs beyond Election Day.
▪ The Hill: Celsius, compression socks and Cava: How lawmakers survived an all-nighter.
Those results are drawing scrutiny and caution from both sides of the GOP's ideological spectrum, posing a difficult balancing act for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). The Speaker aims to bring the full bill for a vote next week, ahead of a self-imposed Memorial Day deadline.
While conservatives complain the cuts are too small, moderates are more guarded and appear nervous to back provisions that were not as significant as they could have been but will still leave millions of Americans uninsured.
And some lawmakers were caught off guard entirely by Medicaid provisions in their own bill.
"There were some items in there that, it was the first time we were hearing of them," Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pa.) told Politico.
Asked by The Hill on Wednesday if he believes the deficit hawks are changing the rules in the middle of the game, Johnson said their gripes are part of the process.
"No, I don't think the goalposts are being moved," he said. "I think everybody's just expressing their preferences for the final product, and again, that's part of the process."
Meanwhile, several Republicans from high-tax blue states have also expressed fury over a $30,000 cap for the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, saying it remains far too low.
Rep. Mike Lawler (N.Y.), one of the chamber's most vulnerable Republicans running for reelection, is among those pushing for a higher cap. In a social media spat Wednesday, he hit back at comments from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) who urged the GOP to press on over the SALT demands within the party.
"[T]he reason you enjoy a gavel is because Republicans like me have won our seats. Good luck being in the Majority if we don't," Lawler warned.
▪ The Wall Street Journal: Conservative House members are fuming at some of their Republican colleagues whose insistence on a much larger state and local tax deduction is one of the biggest remaining hurdles to the party's giant tax-and-spending bill.
▪ The Hill: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified in Congress on Wednesday to defend the Trump administration's budget request but faced a grilling on his drastic overhaul of the federal health agency. Here are key takeaways.
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