Feb. 25 (UPI) — House Republican leaders are one step closer to advancing a budget plan and President Donald Trump’s agenda, as several conservative members hold out for deeper spending cuts. A final floor vote is expected Tuesday night.
House Speaker Mike Johnson spent much of the day in meetings with Republicans who were unsure or demanding more. With 218 Republicans and 215 Democrats in the House, GOP leaders know they can not afford defections if members’ budget votes break down along party lines.
“We are trying to work through concerns and issues. A lot of people want to make sure we are cutting an appropriate amount … it’s a very complicated negotiation … we will get there,” Johnson told reporters.
“The president has talked to a number of members. He’s made his intentions well known and he wants them to vote for this and move it along so we can start the process,” Johnson added.
Among those undecided holdouts was Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, who said she was focused on her aging constituency in New York.
“I’m still undecided, but I’m leaning more towards yes because I’ve gotten some clarity and assurances that make me feel comfortable allowing this process to move forward,” Malliotakis said. “We have to make sure that leadership includes those of use who have large Medicaid populations in that process.”
Georgia Rep. Rich McCormick said he’d “like us to be more aggressive on spending cuts so we can save on things like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.”
A procedural test vote earlier Tuesday ended at 217 to 211. One Republican and four Democrats did not vote.
Earlier Tuesday, Johnson was unsure as to whether the House budget vote might get pushed to another day.
“There may be a vote tonight. There may not be. Stay tuned. That’s why you get paid. Hang around here,” the House Speaker told reporters.
The budget plan, which moved out of the House Budget Committee earlier this month, includes approximately $300 billion in new spending for defense and the border, along with a debt limit increase of $4 trillion. In the budget, $150 billion is for the U.S. Department of Defense and another $175 billion would go toward immigration enforcement and border security.
The budget also directs the Energy and Commerce Committee to make at least $880 billion in spending cuts, which some lawmakers argue can only be done by making large cuts to Medicaid.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the GOP plan “reckless” and claimed it represents “the largest Medicaid cut in American history.”
“Children will be devastated. Families will be devastated. People with disabilities will be devastated. Seniors will be devastated. Hospitals will be devastated. Nursing homes will be devastated,” Jefferies said.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise accused Democrats of “lying” about cuts to Medicaid.
“This bill doesn’t even mention the word ‘Medicaid’ a single time, and yet, all Democrats are doing is lying about what’s in the budget because they don’t want to talk about the truth,” Scalise said.
“Instead of just sitting back and licking their wounds that they’re completely out of touch with the American people, their only choice is to resort to lying about what’s in this vote today,” Scalise added. “There is no Medicaid in this bill. There are no Medicaid cuts in this bill. Yet that’s all they’re saying.”
