WASHINGTON — Key House committees are debating critical portions of a sweeping package for President Donald Trump’s agenda on Tuesday, with Republicans eyeing a vote on the final bill in the full chamber before Memorial Day weekend even as they have yet to reach consensus on several key issues.
The tax-writing Ways and Means Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicaid, kicked off their markup meetings Tuesday afternoon, and lawmakers said the sessions could go late into the night and possibly into Wednesday.
A third panel, the Agriculture Committee, is expected to begin marking up its own section Tuesday night.
The trio of committees is expected to vote to approve their sections of Trump’s sprawling tax cuts, energy and border security package and send them to the House Budget Committee, which will assemble the full legislation and send it to the House floor for a vote.
Republicans on these panels must achieve consensus on some of the thorniest issues in the entire bill — like how much to cut Medicaid, what to do about the state and local tax (SALT) deduction and whether to scale back Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., can afford only three GOP defections on the final bill given the party’s narrow House majority and the expectation of unanimous Democratic opposition. Johnson and other Republicans say it is essential to extend the expiring Trump tax cuts to prevent a significant tax increase at the end of the year. They said the Medicaid provisions are about cutting waste.
Overall, the legislation is projected by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office to save $715 billion and lead to 8.6 million fewer people with health care coverage. That has caused tension between politically vulnerable Republicans, who say they oppose any benefit cuts, and hard-liners who want more aggressive structural changes to lower long-term Medicaid spending.
The Energy and Commerce hearing got off to a rambunctious start, as protestors briefly interrupted by repeatedly chanting, “No cuts to Medicaid!” Capitol Police escorted the protesters, some in motorized wheelchairs, out of the room and later said 25 people were arrested for “illegally demonstrating.”
Later, Democratic Sens. Tina Smith of Minnesota, Brian Schatz of Hawaii, and Cory Booker of New Jersey walked across the Capitol to the markup, delivering letters from constituents about the negative impacts of the Medicaid cuts in the House proposal.
Inside the hearing, House Democrats focused on the Medicaid cuts and changes in the Energy and Commerce Committee’s bill, which include tougher work requirements and stricter eligibility screenings to access the program’s benefits. One by one, they held up photographs of people who they said could lose Medicaid under the GOP plan.
Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., introduced the committee to George, a six year old with Down syndrome, whose family traveled to the markup from Michigan. Dingell read a letter from George’s mom saying that it’s “a huge fear that we lose Medicaid, because it’s necessary for our family’s lives.”
But Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, quickly interjected.
“I am sorry that people have lied to you,” Crenshaw said. “George, I want to tell you, you have nothing to worry about. Your Medicaid is not going anywhere.”
This week’s committee votes will mark a major milestone in the marathon process known as reconciliation — a fast-track budget process that will allow Republicans who control the Senate to cut out Democrats and push through the bill with a simple majority rather than face the usual 60-vote threshold.
While the votes will hand the Trump package significant momentum, Republicans are still dealing with a number of pitfalls that could derail the entire bill.
The tax legislation, unveiled Monday by Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., extends the 2017 Trump tax cuts and includes a variety of tax breaks for businesses.
The Ways and Means plan also incorporates some of Trump’s other campaign promises, including eliminating federal taxes on tips and overtime, and a tax break for auto-loan interest payments — all through 2028.
In addition, the plan calls for temporarily increasing the child tax credit to $2,500 and boosting tax deductions for seniors through 2028. And it establishes “MAGA accounts,” new savings accounts for newborns.
“The American people that this bill was crafted for may not have an army of D.C. lobbyists to defend them but they do have us, and they do have President Trump,” Smith told reporters before the Ways and Means Committee markup.
“Failure is not an option through this process,” he added. “America First is what President Trump promised, and that’s what this committee will deliver in the one big, beautiful bill.”
The bill hikes the SALT cap to $30,000, up from the current $10,000 cap that Republicans imposed in the 2017 Trump tax law. But some Republicans from high-tax blue states are rejecting that SALT policy and threatening to vote down the bill unless the figure is raised.
Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., a SALT Caucus member, said he is a “hell no” on the package based on the $30,000 figure. And Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., a potential candidate for governor, said there is “zero chance” he’ll vote yes without a higher SALT cap.
A furious Lawler said Tuesday that there were no SALT negotiations happening with Johnson and Smith.
“The chair should be reminded that he wouldn’t have a f—ing gavel without members of the SALT Caucus,” Lawler told reporters.
