Senate Budget Committee chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) finally released a “blueprint” bill covering border security, energy and military funding on Friday after House Republicans delayed putting out their own framework.
“To those who voted for and support real border security and a stronger defense in a troubled world, help is on the way,” Graham (R-SC) said in a statement, sharing a copy of the 61-page bill on X.
“This budget resolution jumpstarts a process that will give President Trump’s team the money they need to secure the border and deport criminals, and make America strong and more energy independent,” he said.
Graham gave advance warning to the House GOP earlier this week that the Senate was moving forward with a two-bill approach to what’s known as budget reconciliation, as opposed to one “big, beautiful” bill — to use President Trump’s words — crammed with border, energy and tax provisions.
The text of the resolution included instructions for how much designated House and Senate committees could either increase or decrease the deficit over the next decade, and a press release from Graham’s office claimed “the legislation will be paid for in four years.”
The budget resolution will complete Trump’s wall on the southern border and hire more Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, Border Patrol agents and federal prosecutors, as well as increase the number of detention beds in ICE facilities.
It will also scrap environmental regulations that the Biden administration imposed on its way out the door — such as a methane emissions fee on oil and gas producers — and boost spending on a host of military initiatives, including Trump’s plan for an Iron Dome-style missile defense system in the US.
Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate and a 218-215 majority in the House, making it difficult to pass partisan bills that rankle some members seeking deeper spending cuts.
Graham knocked a single-bill option for reconciliation, which had been backed by Trump until recently, as “too complicated” on Thursday — but House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) had insisted Republicans in the lower chamber were “right on schedule” in producing one by week’s end
On Friday morning, however, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) revealed that “there won’t be any details announced until the end of the weekend. Possibly not until Monday.”
House Republicans did, however, pass a separate piece of legislation to stop a fracking moratorium put in place by the last administration, with 16 Democrats joining them in support.
Bills considered via reconciliation can pass both chambers of Congress by simple majorities so long as they only involve changes to revenues, spending and the debt limit, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
Line items in each bill are scored by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and must receive final approval by a parliamentarian.
During Trump’s first term, congressional Republicans passed the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act via budget reconciliation.
Democrats did the same under former President Joe Biden with the 2021 American Rescue Plan and 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.
Plans to extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, which House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) had hoped to tuck into the reconciliation framework, will likely be shifted to the backburner now.
Nonpartisan groups analyzing the budgetary effects of making the tax cuts permanent have estimated that it will add between $3.5 and $3.9 trillion to the deficit — along with trillions more in reduced revenue should other promises be kept to end taxation on tips, Social Security benefits and overtime pay.
On Thursday, Trump held a five-hour-long meeting with House Republicans and asked for them to further close loopholes benefiting sports team owners and hedge fund managers to make up for some of the reductions in revenue.
GOP lawmakers from New York and New Jersey are also advocating for including an increase of up to $100,000 in State and Local Tax (SALT) deductions.
Under Graham’s framework, the Homeland Security and Judiciary committees will be receiving the most latitude to increase the deficit over 10 years by up to $175 billion for their funding priorities.
The Armed Services committees in both chambers were also granted leeway of $150 billion in increased deficit spending for fiscal years 2025 to 2034.
“The American people gave President Trump a mandate to deliver on his key priorities: securing the border, rebuilding our defense, and unleashing American energy,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said Friday.
“The time to act is now, and Senate Republicans are ready to roll.”
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