The GOP's last-minute mess

IN THIS EDITION

Johnson hits the wall

House GOP pushes Bondi on Trump enemies

Stevens’ delicate primary dance

ICYMI: The Future of Medicine

THE TOP

Johnson hits the wall

Happy Friday morning.

This is what happens when you leave huge decisions on reshaping huge swaths of the federal government to the last minute.

Speaker Mike Johnson’s House Republican Conference is in the midst of a low-grade rebellion against the GOP’s reconciliation proposal.

And since Johnson fought to put the entirety of President Donald Trump’s agenda into “one big, beautiful bill,” the competing factions within the GOP conference are fighting like hell to extract every concession they can.

Think of this situation a bit like squeezing a balloon. If you push too hard on one side, the other side bulges out. Johnson faces a similar dynamic.

If the Louisiana Republican gives in too much to the hardline conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus, moderates will bolt. If Johnson tacks too much toward moderates on an issue like SALT, the HFC and the rest of the GOP conference will bolt.

There’s one other factor to consider here: the 2026 midterm elections. This reconciliation package is the centerpiece of the GOP’s efforts to keep the House.

Moderates argue that if they lose out on SALT or Medicaid spending cuts, then it could cost them their seats and end Republican control of the House. “Moderates are the majority makers” is their refrain.

But conservatives are approaching this fight – in some ways – as if the House may already be lost in 2026. Meaning if House Republicans want major legislative wins that reshape the federal government, now is the moment. This is a subtle yet important subtext of what’s happening.

The House Budget Committee is slated to begin their markup of the reconciliation bill at 9 a.m. in Cannon 210. The panel needs to stitch together the reconciliation portions reported out by each of the 11 other House committees involved in the process. That one massive package will then be sent to the Rules Committee, which is to set on Monday to prep the legislation for the House floor.

There are no amendments allowed in the Budget Committee, so this is an up-or-down vote.

Johnson has big problems on Budget. Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) and Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.) have all said they will vote against the bill in committee. This quartet huddled with Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise off the House floor following Thursday’s votes.

The conservatives are demanding changes to the federal matching portion of Medicaid, as well as immediate enforcement of beefed-up work requirements and a ban on undocumented immigrants. Another must-have – prompt termination of Inflation Reduction Act clean energy credits.

Despite this conservative opposition, GOP leaders assert they’re plowing ahead with today’s markup. Top Republicans believe they can flip the right-wing quartet by further explaining several elements of the bill.

We spoke to Roy and Norman Thursday. They didn’t sound like they needed anything explained to them and are clearly prepared to vote against the measure as it is.

“If they don’t [change it], I’m gonna vote no. We’ll kill it,” Norman said. “And I’ll do it. I don’t want to. But I will if they don’t come forward to give us secure commitments.”

House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) has a parachute, should he want it. Arrington can mark the bill up and then postpone a vote if he needs more time. Or he could dare the opponents to vote no. Both options have benefits. Sometimes it pays to put people on the spot and force them to actually vote no – not just threaten it.

The gives and takes. There are a few dynamics you should understand for the next week.

If Johnson agrees to make any changes to the underlying reconciliation bill – and he will – it must happen at the Rules Committee. That will require the consent of Roy and Norman, both members of the panel.

There are a few changes that Johnson seems nearly certain to make. He will have to speed the onset of new Medicaid work requirements. Conservatives want the new policy to go into place before 2029, perhaps in 2027. Johnson has also discussed making these work requirements uniform across Medicaid and SNAP.

But once he opens that can of worms, there are a ton of other policies lawmakers are asking for.

Florida Republicans are angry about the restrictions on the provider tax that have been inserted into the reconciliation bill. This policy deals with how states extract more Medicaid money from the federal government.

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) wants to remove a provision that forbids legal refugees from accessing SNAP benefits.

We told you about the IRA clean energy credits. Roy wants to scrap those entirely.

Then there’s SALT. Blue-state Republicans want to raise the deduction cap for state and local taxes beyond the $30,000 in the Ways and Means bill. The GOP leadership has to agree to this. Johnson expects to reach an agreement over the weekend. Johnson said he’d have a deal at the beginning of this week, so take that with a grain of salt – pun intended.

How did we get here? These speed bumps aren’t surprising. This is a gigantic legislative grab-bag with lots of disparate priorities. We get that. It reminds us a bit of Build Back Better – which failed and led to the IRA, for what it’s worth.

The chatter about Johnson’s management of this process is getting louder.

But there are some things we should point out. Whenever we’ve seen House Republicans pass massive bills, there’s been an education process. This time there wasn’t that same sort of organized schooling. Johnson set deadlines that were artificial and overly ambitious. We understand the need to set deadlines. Pressure is oftentimes helpful. But this might have been a bridge too far.

And remember: The Senate is likely to change this whole thing.

– Jake Sherman, John Bresnahan, Laura Weiss, Samantha Handler and Mica Soellner

Our newest editorial project, in partnership with Incubate, explores how advancements in technology, private sector engagement and moves by the FDA and Congress are shaping the future of medicine.

ICYMI: Check out our first feature on the state of play in this rapidly-changing industry.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

House GOP pushes Bondi on Trump enemies

House conservatives are urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to be more aggressive against President Donald Trump’s political enemies.

These Republicans want Dr. Anthony Fauci and New York Attorney General Letitia James arrested for what they view as politically targeted efforts to go after Trump.

They also want federal criminal charges filed against Democratic mayors who offered sanctuary to undocumented immigrants.

Another target — Biden administration bureaucrats that Republicans argue wasted federal taxpayer money by pushing DEI, climate change and other progressive goals. It’s unclear what laws were allegedly broken here, or if any were.

Several Republicans also expressed frustrations over what they say is Bondi’s slow walking of fully releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files.

House Judiciary Committee Republicans privately huddled with Bondi on April 28 during a dinner at the Justice Department. These issues and more were raised during that session, several lawmakers said.

“I would like to see things continue to move as quickly as possible,” Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas) told us. “Even some of the stuff DOGE has uncovered, it’s massive corruption that’s been going on and that should turn into criminal referrals.”

Bondi’s stances: During her confirmation hearing, Bondi – who served on Trump’s defense team during his first impeachment case – pledged independence from her personal viewpoints while overseeing the Justice Department. The former Florida Attorney General also told senators that “no one should be prosecuted for political purposes.”

But with Trump’s mission to go after his foes, Bondi is making some noticeably political moves.

The Justice Department opened a criminal probe into James last week over mortgage fraud allegations. James won a $450 million civil case against Trump in 2023 in which she accused him of exaggerating the value of his business assets.

Several House Republicans have accused Fauci of lying to Congress and leading a government cover-up of the origins of Covid-19.

Bondi has also started taking action against states and cities that have gone around federal law when it comes to immigration laws. Most recently, she sued Colorado and Denver for offering sanctuary status to undocumented immigrants.

Justice Department officials didn’t get into the specifics about requests for DOJ action from House GOP lawmakers.

“This Department of Justice will continue to work closely with members of the House Judiciary Committee as we end the weaponization of government and make America safe again,” said a DOJ spokesperson.

Congressional interest: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), along with Reps. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) and Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), sent a letter to Bondi last week, giving her a May 16 deadline to release all the Epstein files.

Luna also said she’s contacted the DOJ to urge officials to start filing criminal charges against sanctuary city mayors but hasn’t heard back from the agency.

“A non-response is not adequate,” Luna told us. “The base just wants legal charges brought against people who broke the law.”

House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) said on Fox News this week that he wants Bondi to bring criminal charges against Fauci. Comer, though, hasn’t met directly with Bondi.

Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) said he’s giving Bondi a grace period because she’s only been in the role for a short time.

“It’s only been four months, so I cut her some slack,” Tiffany said. “If it ends up being two years and there’s stuff not getting done, I’ll reconsider.”

Other Republicans say time is of the essence, noting that Trump and the GOP have the most momentum now.

“I’m as frustrated as anybody,” Burlison said. “I particularly want the Epstein list released as soon as possible and I think a lot of people are blackpilled about this thinking it’ll never happen, but I’m going to keep fighting to get it released.”

– Mica Soellner and John Bresnahan

THE SENATE MAP

Stevens’ delicate primary dance

Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) won’t say if she’d back Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer if elected to the Senate next year.

“My focus is on the Michigan voters, but I’m going to make any such decision along that line when I get there,” Stevens told us in an interview.

It’s just the latest example of Stevens trying to appeal to Michigan primary voters at a time when Democrats are angry with their representatives in Washington. Stevens is seeking to avoid the “Washington insider” label that could harm her in a crowded race.

But just two months ago, Stevens called Schumer “a great leader.” The comments stood in contrast to her primary opponent, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who made waves when she said she wouldn’t back Schumer.

The D.C. angle: As the only federal officeholder in the primary to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Stevens is touting her opposition to the Republican reconciliation package.

Stevens flipped a GOP seat in 2018 on the back of voter angst over Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Stevens said she sees a similar dynamic playing out in 2026 with Medicaid.

“What I’m hearing over and over again is that we need to expand Medicaid, not just protect and preserve it,” Stevens said.

Stevens is framing herself as a champion of Michigan manufacturing. Stevens touted her work on the CHIPS and Science Act in 2022 and the Building Blocks of STEM Act that President Donald Trump signed into law in 2019.

“I’m very pleased to have been named one of the most effective lawmakers in the Congress,” Stevens said.

Unlike some of her Democratic colleagues, Stevens didn’t condemn Rep. Shri Thanedar’s (D-Mich.) Trump impeachment effort.

“I voted to impeach the president before, actually, a couple of times,” Stevens said, adding she’d carefully review any future Trump impeachment articles.

The Democratic field: Former Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate entered the race this week, joining McMorrow, former health official Abdul El-Sayed and Stevens. It’s a far cry from the 2024 Senate Democratic primary, where now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) scared off any serious challenge.

So far, there isn’t any overwhelming favorite.

Both Slotkin and Peters told us they wouldn’t be endorsing anyone in the race.

“In Michigan, we have a pretty consistent tradition of not endorsing and engaging in primaries — just like what Debbie Stabenow did with me,” Slotkin said.

— Max Cohen

SPECIAL PROJECTS

ICYMI: The Future of Medicine

The first installment in our new series, The Future of Medicine, explores the key issue driving the life sciences.

A major point of contention is the long and expensive process it takes to bring a drug from development to market. That cycle lasts about eight years and costs about $2.6 billion from discovery to approval per drug.

While the Food and Drug Administration’s rigorous process is necessary to ensure the highest standards of safety, the added layers of regulations complicate the process and drive up costs.

The four-part series explores the overall state of the life sciences industry, the factors driving it into the future, the regulatory landscape and the major players in the sector with a perspective from a key lawmaker.

Read the first segment here and don’t forget to listen to the podcast too.

– Elvina Nawaguna

…AND THERE’S MORE

News: The Democratic group Unrig Our Economy is launching an initial salvo in its $10 million ad buy, going after House Republicans for Medicaid cuts.

The first ad targets Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), a vulnerable incumbent who sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

“Our congresswoman, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, just voted for the largest cut in the history of Medicaid so congressional Republicans can give a bunch of new tax breaks to billionaires,” an Iowa constituent says in the radio ad. The spot is running on Iowa radio from Friday until June 9.

The $10 million ad buy will also go after GOP Reps. Don Bacon (Neb.), Juan Ciscomani (Ariz.), Tom Kean (N.J.), Mike Lawler (N.Y.) and Rob Bresnahan (Pa.).

Money game: House Minority Whip Katherine Clark hosted a dinner for the DCCC on Wednesday night that raised over $1.5 million from members.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene (Wash.) were special guests at the event, which took place at Chloe on Capitol Hill.

— Max Cohen and John Bresnahan

MOMENTS

CLIPS