House and Senate Republicans Clash Over Budget Reconciliation Plans

Efforts to advance President Trump's legislative agenda face delays as GOP leaders struggle to reconcile competing budget resolutions.

House Republicans are pressuring the Senate to adopt their broader budget resolution, which includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, $2 trillion in spending cuts, and a $4 trillion debt ceiling increase.
Senate Republicans favor a narrower resolution focused on $325 billion in defense and border security funding, reflecting internal divisions over Medicaid cuts, tax policy, and fiscal priorities.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has set an ambitious goal of finalizing the reconciliation package by April 7, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune projects delays until late July or September due to disagreements and legislative complexity.
Key sticking points include proposed Medicaid cuts, the use of a 'current policy baseline' to make tax cuts appear deficit-neutral, and the inclusion of a $4 trillion debt ceiling increase in the House plan.
Leadership meetings are scheduled this week to address these differences, but significant challenges remain, threatening the timeline for enacting Trump's agenda.