Conservative fiscal hawks within the House of Representatives have issued a warning concerning President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill,” saying it could end up facing some big problems after the Senate hacked at the legislation and made several key changes.
Why is it always two steps forward, three steps back with Congress? Even when it’s controlled by Republicans? Sometimes, it feels like politicians never get anything done. Maybe that’s why change takes so long, if it even happens at all.
“There’s real problems with it,” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said in comments given to Fox News Digital on Tuesday. “We’re on board with the president… but we’re concerned about the changes.”
Norman, along with several other members of House Freedom Caucus are miffed about the Senate deciding to defer the expiration of specific green energy tax credits that were put in place by the Biden administration in their horrendous Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Ironically, the bill did absolutely nothing at all to actually lower inflation.
Conservatives refer to these tax credits and the IRA as the “Green New Scam.” The HFC is also concerned about additional spending to raise the debt limit. Trump told the Republican Party lawmakers in Congress to raise the debt limit before the country runs out of money to pay its obligations over the course of the summer.
Here’s more from Fox News:
The Senate’s version of the bill increases the U.S. debt limit by $5 trillion, whereas the earlier House version hiked it by $4 trillion. Congressional Republicans are working to pass Trump’s agenda on tax, immigration, defense, and energy in one massive bill via the budget reconciliation process.
By lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51, reconciliation allows the party in power to pass sweeping legislation while sidelining the minority – in this case, Democrats – provided the measures included fall within a strict set of budgetary rules. The House passed its own version of the bill late last month by just one vote. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has pleaded with his Senate counterparts to change as little as possible, citing his razor-thin majority.
However, Rep. John Thune (R-SD), who serves as the Senate Majority Leader, is currently wrestling with having a small majority in the House. All the while, the lower chamber’s legislation has already made several important updates in order to appease the GOP conference there.
“The changes that we’re hearing about are not good. And Mike Johnson told the Senate, ‘Don’t send us back a revised bill, a significantly revised bill, because we passed it with a one-vote margin in the House,’” Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, said to Fox News Digital.
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Digital he would vote against the bill if the Senate’s product was returned in its current form – though he did not discuss the parliamentarian’s further changes.
Harris voted “present” on the bill when it passed the House in May, telling reporters he had some lingering concerns but would not vote “no,” in order to keep Trump’s agenda moving.
“The currently proposed Senate version of the One Big Beautiful Bill weakens key House priorities – it doesn’t do enough to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid, it backtracks on the Green New Scam elimination included in the House bill, and it greatly increases the deficit – taking us even further from a balanced budget,” Harris explained in a recent statement. “If the Senate tries to jam the House with this version, I won’t vote ‘present.’ I’ll vote NO.”
Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo) said that he would vote no as well if the bill came back to the House in its current form. He voted in favor of advancing the legislation back in May.
Republican leadership has set a goal of having a bill on the president’s desk by Independence Day.
President Trump put his foot down and told congressional Republicans they will stay in Washington until the legislation is past in a post published on Truth Social.
“To my friends in the Senate, lock yourself in a room if you must, don’t go home, and GET THE DEAL DONE THIS WEEK,” Trump went on to say. “Work with the House so they can pick it up, and pass it, IMMEDIATELY. NO ONE GOES ON VACATION UNTIL IT’S DONE.”
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