Spending hawks dig their heels in as White House battles to keep 'big, beautiful bill' afloat



Tensions are running high in Congress as the White House keeps pressuring fiscal conservatives to get on board with President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill."

Despite Trump's Hail Mary pitch to Republicans, specifically fiscal conservatives, Tuesday morning on Capitol Hill, reconciliation talks seem to be going south. While the Rules Committee wraps up its overnight markup, Republicans are still looking for the off-ramp to get their bill passed.

The whole process has been consumed by Republican factions making incompatible demands. The SALT Caucus Republicans were offered a tentative, and very generous, $40,000 cap for state and local tax deductions. Meanwhile, some members of the House Freedom Caucus have pushed for earlier implementation of Medicaid work requirements.

Although both factions made progress toward their respective goals, it still seems like nobody is happy.

'We're going to work with our colleagues to deliver, but there's a long way to go.'

RELATED: Trump pressures House Republican holdouts as reconciliation talks intensify

Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris (R-Md.) and Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas have been two of the most outspoken voices within the conference advocating for fiscal responsibility. Although both acknowledged that moving work requirements to an earlier date rather than the original 2029 implementation was a step in the right direction, they remain unpersuaded by Republican leadership and even the president.

"Look, we are greatly encouraged by the progress that's been made in the last 24 hours," Harris said during a presser Wednesday. "... I'm not sure this can be done this week. I'm pretty confident it can be done in 10 days.”

"We're going to work with the president today," Roy said during the presser. "We're going to work with our colleagues to deliver, but there's a long way to go. I want to be very clear. We've got to deliver on what we're talking about, but we're not going to be able to get the bill done, and that's what we're trying to achieve.”

RELATED: Fiscal hawks send warning as 'big, beautiful bill' clears high-stakes vote: 'We have to do more to deliver'

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Harris told reporters that they initially struck a deal with the White House last night but that they've since walked away from the agreement. A White House official countered the claim and said the administration offered Harris and other spending hawks an array of policy options that the president would allow on the condition that they are able to get the votes.

Trump is now set to meet face-to-face with the House Freedom Caucus and Republican leadership, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), and Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.). Notably, Emmer has not yet scheduled the floor vote as, the fate of Trump's bill hangs in the balance.

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Fiscal hawks send warning as 'big, beautiful bill' clears high-stakes vote: 'We have to do more to deliver'



The "big, beautiful bill" passed a key vote in the House Budget Committee Sunday night after five spending skeptics initially tanked the bill on Friday.

Rather than derail reconciliation a second time, four Republicans voted "present" to advance the bill in a 17-16 vote on Sunday night. On Friday, Republican Reps. Chip Roy of Texas, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, and Lloyd Smucker of Pennsylvania all voted against the bill, resulting in a 16-21 vote.

This time around, Roy, Norman, Clyde, and Brecheen voted "present" to advance the bill, while Smucker voted in favor of it. Notably, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) also met with Norman, Clyde, and Brecheen Sunday morning before the vote.

'This bill is a strong step forward. ... But we have to do more to deliver for the American people.'

RELATED: The Republicans who could derail reconciliation

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas). Photo by Tom Brenner for the Washington Post via Getty Images

"Tonight, after a great deal of work and engagement over the weekend, the Budget Committee advanced a reconciliation bill that lays the foundation for much-needed tax relief, border security, and important spending reductions and reforms," Roy said in a statement. "Importantly, the bill now will move Medicaid work requirements forward and reduces the availability of future subsidies under the green new scam."

Reforms to the Medicaid work requirements were initially set to take effect in 2029, which was not nearly aggressive enough for fiscal hawks like Roy. Johnson reportedly offered the holdouts a 2026 implementation date, which may have swayed many of the holdouts to allow the bill to advance.

"But the bill does not yet meet the moment — leaving almost half of the green new scam subsidies continuing," Roy added. "More, it fails to end the Medicaid money laundering scam and perverse funding structure that provides seven times more federal dollars for each dollar of state spending for the able-bodied relative to the vulnerable."

"This all ultimately increases the likelihood of continuing deficits and non-Obamacare-expansion states like Texas expanding in the future," Roy added. "We can and must do better before we pass the final product."

RELATED: Vance tells Glenn Beck Congress needs to 'get serious' about codifying DOGE cuts

Alex Wroblewski/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The bill can be amended only in the Rules Committee, which will hold its hearing on Wednesday at 1:00 a.m. House Republican leadership members have also said they will refrain from sending lawmakers home for Memorial Day, which was their original target.

"As such, I joined with three of my colleagues to vote 'present' out of respect for the Republican Conference and the president to move the bill forward," Roy said. "It gives us the opportunity to work together this week to get the job done in light of the fact our bond rating was dropped yet again due to historic fiscal mismanagement by both parties."

"This bill is a strong step forward — and I am proud of Chairman Arrington, the speaker, and my colleagues for the work we did to make progress with the White House," Roy added. "But we have to do more to deliver for the American people."

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How Two Big School Choice Measures In Federal Budget Bill Would Revive America

Non-Christian schooling is a top cause of Americans' loss of faith, itself the top cause of the nation's fiscal and moral corruption.

Vance tells Glenn Beck Congress needs to 'get serious' about codifying DOGE cuts



While President Donald Trump greenlit a flurry of executive orders in the first 100 days of his second term, Congress has been struggling to keep up.

In the first few months of his presidency, only five bills from Congress have made it to Trump's desk and been signed into law. Meanwhile, Louisiana Republican Speaker Mike Johnson's "big, beautiful bill" has been the focal point of Capitol Hill drama with promises to codify the MAGA mandate Trump was overwhelmingly elected for.

Although the mandate is reflected in certain provisions in the bill, Vice President JD Vance himself said that Congress needs to do more to codify DOGE cuts and rein in spending.

'We're going to have to do it and get serious about it.'

.@VP Vance assures me major spending cuts are coming in the FINAL “Big, Beautiful Bill”:

“We’ve already had conversations with House leadership that we want to see some more significant efforts to rein in spending.”

“When I talk to @elonmusk and I talk to the DOGE folks, where… pic.twitter.com/CyyJRt1zZ4
— Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) May 15, 2025


"I will say the big, beautiful bill text just came out last week," Vance told Glenn Beck on "The Glenn Beck Program" Thursday. "That's going to change a lot from now until then. We've already had conversations with House leadership that we want to see some more significant efforts to rein in spending here."

"The president also believes, Glenn, and he's right about that, that if you cut the trade deficit or you raise revenue through tariffs, that you actually go a long way to making the country on a more sustainable fiscal pathway as well," Vance added. "But you're right. You can't do it without cutting domestic spending."

Up until this point, the United States has racked up over $36 trillion in national debt. Despite the desire from certain Republicans to actually control spending, Johnson's bill is expected to add roughly $3.3 trillion to the deficit through fiscal year 2034.

"We're going to have to do it and get serious about it," Vance told Beck. "We're making that as clear to congressional leaders as possible. But look, knock on wood here, I think that once we get the final package out of the House and the Senate, we're going to have something that's serious on budget-cutting."

RELATED: Exclusive: Why Chip Roy can't support the 'big, beautiful bill': 'The swamp does what the swamp does'

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Vance noted that one of the easiest ways to chip away at the nation's mounting debt is to begin by eliminating mismanaged spending and fraudulent benefits.

"What no one talks enough about, and when I talk to Elon, and I talk to the DOGE folks, where they think they're going to get the most cuts is in taking people, illegal aliens and other people, who are defrauding the Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security system," Vance added.

"Think about two people, right? A guy who's paid into Social Security for 40 years. Obviously we want that guy to get his Social Security benefits," Vance told Beck. "You compare that person to an illegal alien who's engaged in Medicaid fraud. Obviously we don't want that person to get their benefits."

RELATED: Big, beautiful bill advances after 18-hour markup marathon while SALT talks go south

Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Medicaid reform has been a hot-button issue as reconciliation talks escalate. In its current state, the bill amended work requirements so that ineligible recipients would have a harder time defrauding the Medicaid system, protecting vulnerable people the service was intended for. Although this is a step in the right direction, some Republicans say it doesn't go far enough and have pointed out that the changes won't be enforced until 2029, after Trump has left office.

"I think Democrats are going to fight us on this, but this is such an important point," Vance added. "We cannot allow people to defraud the Medicare and Medicaid system, or it's going to bankrupt this country. It's also just fundamentally unfair."

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Exclusive: Republicans relish Trump's 100-day winning streak: 'We have momentum building'



President Donald Trump is officially 100 days into his second term, and many of his allies have celebrated the milestone as a roaring success.

Despite criticism from his political and media adversaries, Trump takes pride in his 100-day sprint, and Republican lawmakers are riding the momentum.

'He took the bull by the horns.'

"Well, I think either we've done everything, or it's in the process of being done," Trump told reporters Tuesday.

House Republicans are messaging in lockstep with the administration, sharing the president's enthusiasm in exclusive interviews with Blaze News.

"The first 100 days of President Trump can be summed up in one slogan: promises made and promises kept," Republican Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina told Blaze News. "It’s like a veil has been lifted from this country.”

"I think it’s been the best presidency that I’ve seen in my lifetime," Republican Rep. Eric Burlison of Missouri told Blaze News. "We’ve had four years to kind of plan and strategize what he would do when he returns, and we’re seeing the fruits of that."

One frequently referenced victory has been the southern border, which has seen record-low encounters with illegal aliens under the Trump administration. Between the inauguration and April 1, only nine illegal aliens were released back into the country, compared to the 184,000 illegal aliens released under former President Joe Biden during the same time frame last year, according to press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

'President Trump is fulfilling his promises, but the accomplishment to me is the rate he’s doing it.'

“The border security is incredible," Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia told Blaze News. "It’s historic. And we have a lot of thanks that goes to President Trump, as well as Tom Homan."

“To do that in these first 100 days has been absolutely phenomenal," Republican Rep. Mark Harris of North Carolina told Blaze News. “He took the bull by the horns."

The numbers paint a very clear, indisputable picture on immigration. However, other areas like the economy have been swirling with controversy in recent weeks with ongoing trade wars and market uncertainty. Many critics, particularly in the media, have rushed to call the economy a failure. Despite their doom and gloom, the Trump administration and his supporters on the Hill remain confident.

'We have a long way to go, but he’s only been in office 100 days.'

"We were losing billions and billions of dollars a day with trade, and now I have that down to a very low level, and soon we're going to be making a lot of money," Trump told reporters Tuesday.

The consensus among Republicans was that Trump's presidency was not only a success but also impressively efficient.

"President Trump is fulfilling his promises, but the accomplishment to me is the rate he’s doing it," Republican Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois told Blaze News. "He was working on his transition team before he was even elected so he could hit the ground running, and that's what he’s done."

"He came in with the best Cabinet that I think we’ve ever seen," Burlison added. "He came in, and he got them appointed quickly, and he came in with a ton of executive orders."

While Republicans enjoy the successes of the first 100 days, lawmakers are tasked with maintaining the winning streak. The House and Senate are officially back in session after a two-week recess, and reconciliation talks are resuming.

“We have a long way to go, but he’s only been in office 100 days," Norman told Blaze News.

"I’m very excited about it," Miller said. "I think we have momentum building to pass this one big, beautiful bill."

While lawmakers in the House and Senate continue to iron out reconciliation talks, Republicans have maintained that Trump policies, such as no tax on tips, are a non-negotiable.

'Congress is not on page with President Trump, and I think that's a serious problem.'

“No tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on social security," Greene told Blaze News. "These were President Trump’s campaign promises that he said over and over again, promising the American people, and these are the promises that Congress has to deliver.”

Spending cuts have also remained a top priority despite the negative press from the legacy media surrounding Elon Musk and DOGE's efforts.

"It’s not going to be easy, but it’s like the cancer patient who’s taking the medicine that’s bitter," Norman told Blaze News. "I’m sorry, but if it will help you and cure the cancer, then we do it. And the cancer in this country has been overspending, and we’re going to fix it.”

"We’re at $37 trillion in debt," Burlison added. "We have a $2-trillion-a-year annual deficit. If we grow that, I can’t live with myself."

'We’ve gotta make sure we do government differently.'

Although some Republicans say we are on track, others are not confident that Congress will stay on course.

"Congress is not on page with President Trump, and I think that's a serious problem," Greene told Blaze News.

“If Congress does not deliver on these important campaign promises of President Trump, we’re gonna lose the midterms," Greene added. “It would be such a failure of a Republican-controlled Congress not to deliver on the mandate, the historic mandate, that was given in November.”

Although there are some concerns that Congress will return to old spending habits, Trump remains optimistic about reconciliation.

"If we get that done, that's the biggest thing. ... And I think we're going to get it done," Trump told reporters Tuesday. "We have great Republican support."

"We’ve gotta make sure we do government differently," Harris said. “We’ve gotta stay the course that we’ve started.”

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Congress Should Strip Tax Exemptions From All Woke Nonprofits, Not Just Harvard

Leftist non-profits should lose their tax-exempt status. And there’s a very easy way to do it: all of them have DEI departments.

House Democrat takes shots at Schumer following shutdown fiasco: 'Maybe he needs to go'



Democrats on Capitol Hill are unhappy after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) mishandled last week's shutdown showdown, and they aren't hiding it.

Democratic Rep. Glenn Ivey of Maryland is the latest lawmaker to take shots at the party leader. While Schumer has spent the last few days in damage-control mode, Ivey told Politico Wednesday that Democrats "can’t afford to miss the moment again."

In response to the massive blowback, Schumer has spent the last few days on defense.

“If he can get himself together and come — you know, get right on this vote, and we get another shot at it, OK,” Ivey said. “But if he’s going to do the same thing again when this bill comes up six months from now, we can’t afford that.”

After the House passed the Republican-led funding bill on March 11, the Senate was tasked with keeping the government open before the March 14 deadline. In order to vote on the continuing resolution, the bill needed to clear a procedural vote called cloture, which required 60 votes.

In other words, Democrats had the decision to reach across the aisle and join Republicans to pass the funding bill, which was backed by President Donald Trump, or to dig their heels in and shut down the government.

Schumer initially signaled his support for a shutdown but later changed his position in favor of passing the CR to avoid a shutdown. Schumer argued that a shutdown would be worse than the funding bill, but his reversal sparked outrage throughout the Democratic Party. In the end, 10 Democrats joined 52 Republicans to advance the bill.

“We’ve got a limited number of shots at being able to fight back against the Trump administration and what they’re doing,” Ivey said. “We can’t afford to miss the moment again.”

Several prominent Democrats, like former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), denounced Schumer's approach, and the rank and file largely felt the same. Ivey echoed his colleagues' concerns about Schumer, saying, "Maybe he needs to go."

“Hakeem met the moment last week,” Ivey said. “Schumer missed it.”

In response to the massive blowback, Schumer has spent the last few days on defense. Schumer postponed his book tour and spent the weekend doing several media hits in an attempt to preserve his reputation. Even still, Democrats aren't buying it.

“Everybody doesn’t have to do the same temperament, everybody doesn’t have to do the same messaging,” Ivey said, “as long as they’re doing what they need to do to win their seats.”

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The handful of Republican holdouts Johnson has to reel in for reconciliation



As Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) works around the clock to rally Republicans behind his "big beautiful" reconciliation bill, some members of the GOP are still holding out.

Ahead of the highly anticipated vote, Johnson was tasked with reeling in both moderates and fiscal conservatives who had reservations about reconciliation. Moderates in blue and purple districts felt the cuts in the budget blueprint went too far, while fiscal conservatives felt the cuts didn't go far enough. Notably, Johnson can afford to lose only one Republican vote to get reconciliation out the door.

Despite the diversity of opinion within the Republican conference, Johnson told Blaze News that he has no intention of reaching across the aisle to get his budget proposal passed, noting that reconciliation has always been a "partisan exercise."

'None of us are going to get everything we want, but we will be able to pass what I think could be one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in many, many years, maybe decades.'

Still, he made some inroads, particularly among moderates, who usually acquiesce after some lobbying from the Republican leadership.

Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska came out of a meeting Monday saying he felt "a little more comfort" about Johnson's proposal. Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York similarly went from leaning no on reconciliation to undecided and eventually to lean yes all in one day.

"I disagree with my colleagues," Malliotakis said of fiscal conservatives Tuesday. "Unfortunately there are some that want to vote no on this resolution because they say it doesn't go far enough and we need to cut more. But we need to do this with a scalpel, I've said this repeatedly, not a sledgehammer."

The sledgehammer-wielding Republicans Malliotakis is referring to include the usual suspects.

As of now, Johnson remains optimistic, focusing his efforts on whipping his conference behind the budget resolution.

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who has historically opposed many of the GOP's spending proposals, said Monday that "if the Republican budget passes, the deficit gets worse, not better." Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana similarly voiced her opposition to the resolution on Sunday, citing fiscal concerns.

Republican Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee took issue with the budget proposal, saying he wanted more assurances on spending cuts and a permanent extension on President Donald Trump's 2017 tax cuts. Republican Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio also criticized the bill, saying there was "no path" to pass the resolution without addressing the looming funding deadline on March 14. As of now, there has been no proposed continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown before mid-March.

Although Johnson doesn't currently have the votes on paper, he has secured major cuts in the bill with the help of past budget critics like Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, giving him a leg up in ongoing negotiations. As of now, Johnson remains optimistic, focusing his efforts on whipping his conference behind the budget resolution.

"We're not going to have any Democrats, which means we are going to have to have every single Republican," Johnson told Blaze News.

"I'm convinced that, at the end, it's going to work," Johnson added. "None of us are going to get everything we want, but we will be able to pass what I think could be one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in many, many years, maybe decades."

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Exclusive: Speaker Johnson will work to 'codify' DOGE cuts despite hesitant Republicans



Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told Blaze News in an exclusive interview Monday that Congress will continue to have close ties to Elon Musk's DOGE despite some hesitancy within the Republican conference.

While the DOGE continues to make headlines, some moderate Republicans have signaled concerns about the measures Musk has taken to overhaul federal corruption. Nevertheless, Johnson has reaffirmed his support for Musk, saying it's his responsibility to "codify" the DOGE's directives in Congress.

'I have to codify a lot of what is being done in the executive branch, and that is the legislative process.'

"I think finding the inefficiency, finding the massive examples of fraud, waste, and abuse is something that's long overdue," Johnson told Blaze News. "It's something that should be applauded, and it will help us with budgeting going forward. I really do believe it's transformational and revolutionary — I use the word intentionally — in the way government works. It's something we applaud."

Johnson also told Blaze News that he has remained in close contact with Musk as he and President Donald Trump have rolled out the DOGE's directives in the last few weeks.

"We were texting last night," Johnson said of Musk.

Although Johnson has maintained a close relationship with Musk and the White House, he noted that he still has to bridge the gap between the DOGE and potential GOP defectors.

"I have to codify a lot of what is being done in the executive branch, and that is the legislative process," Johnson said. "We have to find a consensus point. It's the requirement of the job, especially with a small margin. So we've got to find the kind of balancing point where the people on this side of the conference and this side of the conference will all agree. And we'll find them."

Although Johnson and the DOGE have largely been on the same page, he acknowledged that there is room for debate between Congress and the White House. Ultimately, Johnson and the DOGE share the same objective: addressing federal corruption and chipping away at the growing national debt.

"We have to get control of that problem," Johnson added. "That's why I said for these extra funds that we're finding, the new revenue sources, we should use it to pay down the nation's debt. That's the most fiscally responsible thing, and everyone, every American, every individual will see the benefit of that. Not just an immediate benefit, but for a long time to come."

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Exclusive: Andy Biggs aims to codify top Trump priority with new COINS Act



Republican Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona introduced the COINS Act on Tuesday that would implement President Donald Trump's proposal to halt the production of new pennies.

The bill, known as the Currency Optimization, Innovation, and National Savings Act, would prohibit the production of any new pennies for the next decade, according to the bill text obtained exclusively by Blaze News. It costs the U.S. Mint an average of 3.69 cents to produce a coin worth just one cent, giving Trump and his allies fiscal concerns.

'At more than $36 trillion in debt, every single cent counts.'

The bill also notes that there have already been enough pennies minted to meet the demand and that further production won't be necessary for the next decade.

“Eighty-five million taxpayer dollars were spent on the production of new pennies in 2024, and no one even batted an eye,” Biggs said. "President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency have spent weeks rooting out government waste and fraud. Congress must support their efforts by codifying President Trump’s America First priorities — like his move to stop minting new pennies. At more than $36 trillion in debt, every single cent counts."

"For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents," Trump said in a Truth Social post. "This is so wasteful! I have instructed my Secretary of the US Treasury to stop producing new pennies. Let's rip the waste out of our great nation[']s budget, even if it's a penny at a time."

This is the latest effort MAGA-aligned lawmakers have led on the Hill to prioritize responsible spending. The Department of Government Efficiency has been at the forefront of the effort and has often served as a blueprint for lawmakers.

"The penny costs over 3 cents to make and costs US taxpayers over $179 million in FY2023," reads one X post from the DOGE account. "The Mint produced over 4.5 billion pennies in FY2023, around 40% of the 11.4 billion coins for circulation produced. Penny (or 3 cents!) for your thoughts."

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