There are 52 days until the federal government runs out of money. And just over five weeks until Speaker Mike Johnson has said a GOP-controlled Congress would pass a budget resolution needed to unlock tax cuts and other key Republican priorities.
Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune head to the White House today to meet with President Donald Trump, the first get-together for the leaders of the GOP trifecta that now controls Washington. Trump will meet with the entire bicameral Republican leadership afterward.
Trump spent the hours after his Monday inauguration signing a wide array of executive orders, issuing threats and delivering on campaign promises. He pardoned 1,500 Jan. 6 rioters; threatened trade wars with Canada, Mexico and China; gave TikTok another 75 days before being banned; withdrew the United States from the World Health Organization and Paris climate agreement again; ordered an end to birthright citizenship (if it makes it through court); declared an emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border; made it easier to fire federal workers; and lots more.
It was Trump moving at warp speed, as he promised during the campaign. Trump even filmed a video for the College Football Playoff national championship that touted his return to office: “The golden age of America has begun.”
But Johnson and Thune are looking for legislative wins. That requires planning, focus and execution, not exactly Trump’s strong points during his first term. Hill Republicans — especially a razor-thin House GOP majority that’s about to get thinner — are hoping for a different outcome this time around.
We spoke to Johnson and Thune Monday about what they hope to get out of the meetings today — and what their strategy is heading in.
Johnson. Johnson told us he wants to talk about the “legislative outlook for the first 100 days and the strategy on reconciliation.” The speaker said it’s his goal to “align the Senate and House together” on a final strategy for reconciliation.
Just last week, Johnson met with Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) about why he thinks it’s so important to move quickly on reconciliation. Cruz and Graham have been leading advocates of Thune’s preferred two-step approach for reconciliation, arguing it’s a national security imperative to act on immigration and defense first.
To that end, the House leadership will host more reconciliation-focused listening sessions this week. Johnson said he hopes the conversations will lead to “final decisions on the components from the committees” for the reconciliation package carrying Trump’s agenda.
Thune. During Senate Republicans’ Jan. 8 meeting with Trump, Thune floated the idea of having the Senate continue to work on the two-bill track in the event the House’s one-bill effort falters. Trump said he was open to that.
Thune told us Monday night that he expects reconciliation and government funding to be the focal points of today’s meeting. Remember that government funding runs out on March 14 and there’s no deal yet even on how much to spend overall, much less what 12 spending bills will look like.
“It’s a chance for everyone to touch gloves now that the formalities are over with — the ceremonial part of this,” Thune added. “And now it’s time to roll up our sleeves and go to work.”
Here are the topics that still need work:
Reconciliation. The House and Senate need to get aligned on their reconciliation package — and soon. GOP senators are hopeful that Trump will abandon his “one big, beautiful bill” preference and see the wisdom of two bills. This looks unlikely. Trump told Republican senators over the weekend that he still wants one bill.
But there’s so much more that Johnson and Thune need to hear from Trump. What precisely are his true must-haves in the reconciliation bill? Is Trump still intent on the smattering of tax policies that he talked about on the campaign trail, such as cutting taxes on Social Security and Americans living abroad? What about tariffs?
The truth is, Trump would probably benefit from hearing just how messy the process of passing this reconciliation package will be. Johnson and Thune need Trump locked in and listening to the White House legislative affairs team and the GOP congressional leadership. This package can only pass if Republicans pitch a perfect game.
Debt limit. Nothing has angered Trump as much as having to deal with the debt limit during the first year of his presidency. In the Capitol, Republicans have all but given up on addressing the debt limit as part of the reconciliation package.
Wait until Trump finds out that he is going to have to do it in a government-funding bill or a disaster-aid package that will almost assuredly be passed with Democratic votes, driving the GOP base mad. There’s even disagreement on that front — some Republicans want the debt limit to ride on disaster aid. But Democrats are already pushing back on that.
Trump told House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Monday that it was good to meet him during the signing ceremony in the Capitol. And Trump said he wants to work with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer more. He may have to.
Disaster aid. Senior lawmakers and aides estimate that California will need $100 billion or more in emergency assistance to help the state rebuild following the disastrous wildfires this month. Johnson has said that he might try to condition the aid to policy changes in California. This is something that Johnson and Thune will have to get aligned on. Thune will need 60 votes to advance anything in the Senate. And Johnson’s House will be ready to take a whack at blue California.