Overview: A Divided House Moves Forward

Washington D.C. – The House is pushing ahead with a major budget package, described as President Trump’s one, big beautiful bill. Three key committees convened to address critical defense,energy,and tax priorities. Though, deep divisions among republicans persist, particularly concerning Medicaid and tax cuts.

• The Ways and Means Committee, Energy and commerce Committee, and Agriculture Committee all met to debate and vote on their respective proposals.
• Republicans remain at odds over several significant issues, including adjustments to Medicaid and proposed tax cuts.

Ways and Means: SALT Deduction Stalls Progress

The Ways and Means panel, responsible for the tax portions of the bill, advanced its section of the legislation after an exhaustive 18-hour markup, with a 26-19 vote. The state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap remains a significant hurdle.

• Blue state republicans are advocating for an increase to the current $10,000 SALT deduction cap.
• A proposed $30,000 cap has failed to gain consensus among Republicans.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., acknowledged the impasse, stating he is serving as the neutral umpire in discussions between Republicans from different states. he added,I’m absolutely confident we’re going to be able to work out a compromise that everybody can live with.

Energy and Commerce: Medicaid Cuts Under Scrutiny

The energy and Commerce Committee spent over 25 hours debating before advancing its portion of the bill with a 30-24 vote. The committee is tasked with finding $880 billion in cuts, substantially impacting the Medicaid program.

Key proposals include:

• Imposing work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependent children.
• Implementing more frequent eligibility checks.
• Cutting federal funding to states that use Medicaid infrastructure to provide healthcare coverage to undocumented immigrants.
• Banning Medicaid coverage for gender transition services for children.

Agriculture Committee: Food Stamp Program Changes

The agriculture Committee, aiming to cut $230 billion, passed its portion of the bill in a 29-25 party-line vote. The most contentious issue involves the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps.

Proposed changes include:

• Increasing the age requirement for able-bodied adults without children to qualify for benefits, raising it from 54 to 64.
• Shifting more of the costs to individual states.
• Closing a loophole for work requirement waivers that states could request for areas with unemployment rates exceeding 10% or lacking a sufficient number of jobs.

House Vote Looms, Senate Weighs in

House GOP leadership expressed optimism as the committee stage neared completion. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., noted, A lot of work has gone into getting 11 committees ready to complete all of their work today.

Republican leaders are aiming for a House floor vote next week. The House Budget Committee will consolidate the bill’s components into a single legislative package, which will then proceed to the House Rules Committee before a final vote.

This process isn’t over. We’re just getting close to maybe half time. When we pass this bill next week through the House, it will go to the Senate, they’ll do their work. But we will get this bill to President Trump’s desk before the July 4 deadline that the White House has asked for.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.

Speaker Johnson emphasized the bill’s importance, calling it one of the most consequential pieces of legislation ever passed by the United States Congress. he added, It is large, it is extensive, and it deals with reconciling the budget in a way that will be fiscally responsible.

Though,some Senate Republicans have voiced concerns,suggesting certain changes in the upper chamber.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., hopes the House will send over legislation that the Senate can use as a base. He added, I think we’ve assumed all along that the Senate would have its input on this. Obviously there’s 53 Republican senators who want to have their own thoughts and ideas incorporated.