Johnson says no cuts to Social Safety and Medicare to fund Trump’s agenda

Home Speaker Mike Johnson stated Tuesday that cuts to Social Safety and Medicare will not be a part of the legislative bundle being labored out to fund President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda.

“No, the president has made clear that Social Safety and Medicare need to be preserved,” Johnson replied when requested if he was open to chopping the packages as a part of the spending plans being labored out between Home and Senate Republican leaders. “We now have to have a look at all spending whereas sustaining… The Republican Get together won’t reduce advantages.”

Johnson stated he was to satisfy with Senate Majority Chief John Thune on Tuesday to debate concepts for a funding bundle that Republicans plan to pursue by “reconciliation” — a fast-track course of restricted to spending and income laws that wants solely a majority slightly than the 60-vote threshold within the Senate wanted to go laws. Republicans maintain a slender majority within the Home and a 3-seat majority within the Senate.

Congressional Republicans have but to resolve on a reconciliation plan. Johnson is pushing Trump’s want for “one huge, lovely invoice” to fund his agenda however Senate leaders and a few conservatives within the Home choose that it’s divided into two items of laws.

The negotiated bundle is predicted to incorporate a number of of Trump’s high priorities, which embody extending the tax cuts handed throughout his first time period and addressing his immigration reforms, together with extra funding for Border Patrol and ICE. Trump has additionally pushed Congress to extend or eradicate the debt restrict, although particulars of any plan stay unclear.

Trump reiterated his choice for one invoice when he spoke to reporters on Tuesday, however stated he may reside with two.

“Properly, I like one huge, lovely invoice, and I at all times have, I at all times will, he stated. But when two is extra sure, it does go a little bit bit faster as a result of you are able to do the immigration stuff early.”

Earlier than Trump spoke, Johnson stated he stays satisfied that the one-bill technique is the “greatest method to go.”

“I am assembly in the present day with Chief Thune in regards to the two concepts,” Johnson advised reporters outdoors a closed GOP convention assembly Tuesday morning. “We nonetheless stay satisfied over right here that the one-bill technique is one of the simplest ways to go, however there’s some senators who’ve totally different concepts.”

“They’re all pricey buddies and colleagues, and we’ll work on this collectively. We are going to get the 2 chambers united on the identical technique. And I believe the president nonetheless prefers ‘one huge, lovely invoice,’ as he likes to say, and there is quite a lot of benefit to that — we may discuss in regards to the ins and outs of that possibly at our management press convention right here.”

Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso stated one of many key goals within the assembly with Trump will likely be making an attempt to forge a clearer path on reconciliation.

“He will be with Senate management in addition to the complete Senate convention to speak about that precise factor tomorrow and the way we get on the identical web page with the Home,” Barrasso stated.

Barrasso stated a two-part plan that will ship wins for Trump early in his presidency and permit for extra time to handle tax coverage that does not expire till the tip of the 12 months, however the “objective is identical.”

“It was a suggestion by John Thune — this was earlier than Christmas — he stated ‘Let’s get an early win on the border.’ It was a problem within the election and it’s a huge problem for the American folks and it’s a huge problem for nationwide safety, and we simply thought we may get that executed in a faster vogue with a give attention to that, on taking {the handcuffs} off of American power in addition to navy energy, after which have the longer time to work on the monetary part of this,” Barrasso stated. “This points and the urgency of the tax problem would not actually come into play till l the tip of the 12 months to the extent that these different points have the upper urgency proper now.”

Johnson additionally stated he intends to deal with the debt restrict — one other Trump precedence — within the reconciliation course of, which Republicans may strive go in each chambers with out Democratic help.

“That approach, because the Republican Get together, the social gathering answerable for each chambers, we once more get to find out the main points of that. If it runs by the common order, common course of… then it’s important to have each events negotiating. And we really feel like we’re in higher stead to do it ourselves,” he stated.

Johnson stated members can have “prolonged” periods to go over the plan for reconciliation since there are “broad opinions” on learn how to deal with it.

“Republicans on this majority within the Home and Senate – our intention, our mission is to cut back spending in a significant approach so we will get, restore fiscal sanity… so elevating the debt restrict is a mandatory step so we do not give the looks that we’ll default not directly on the nation’s debt,” he added.

Johnson stated this doesn’t imply Republicans will “tolerate” spending extra to the brand new debt restrict as a result of the “dedication” is to cut back spending, however the ultimate components has not been decided.

The speaker additionally advised reporters that he’ll doubtless converse with Trump on Tuesday, forward of the president-elect’s go to to Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

“I am positive I am going to converse with him in the present day, most likely this afternoon, and when he is on the town, I am positive we’ll get collectively,” Johnson stated. “He and I each have a really busy schedule. He is making an attempt to jam so much into that go to on the Hill, so we’re sympathetic to that.” Johnson stated.

Johnson stated there will likely be extra discussions on Trump’s agenda when he meets with Home Republicans at Mar-a-Lago this weekend.

“He is bringing in huge teams of Home Republicans to Mar-a-Lago over the weekend three days in a row to satisfy with and discuss with all of our group members about what’s forward of us and the challenges and the way we will accomplish all this collectively. So we’re very enthusiastic about that. The president-elect is worked up about it, and all of us are as effectively,” Johnson stated.

Senate Republicans are making ready to satisfy with President-Elect Trump within the Capitol tomorrow, and one among their key goals will likely be making an attempt to forge a clearer path about learn how to proceed with advancing Trump’s agenda by a fast-track price range instrument known as reconciliation, Republican Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo. stated.

“He will be with Senate management in addition to the complete Senate convention to speak about that precise factor tomorrow and the way we get on the identical web page with the Home,” Barrasso stated.

Barrasso stated in the present day that the “objective is identical” no matter whether or not Congress in the end proceeds with a one-part invoice, as Speaker Johnson and Trump have steered, or with a two-part technique championed by Majority Chief Thune.

However he made the case for a two-part plan that will ship wins for Trump early in his presidency and permit for extra time to handle tax coverage that does not expire till the tip of the 12 months.

“It was a suggestion by John Thune — this was earlier than Christmas — he stated ‘Let’s get an early win on the border.’ It was a problem within the election and it’s a huge problem for the American folks and it’s a huge problem for nationwide safety, and we simply thought we may get that executed in a faster vogue with a give attention to that, on taking {the handcuffs} off of American power in addition to navy energy, after which have the longer time to work on the monetary part of this,” Barrasso stated. “This points and the urgency of the tax problem would not actually come into play till l the tip of the 12 months to the extent that these different points have the upper urgency proper now.”

Senate Republicans have barely extra respiration room on these measures than their Home colleagues as they’ve a 3-seat GOP majority. Within the Home, Johnson would possibly solely be capable of afford to lose a single Republican, so his choice for one massive invoice seems to be targeted on getting his members collectively.

“For those who put a variety of excessive precedence points collectively, then individuals are extra apt to vote for the bigger bundle, as a result of although there could also be one thing in it that does not meet their choice, they don’t seem to be going to be prepared to vote towards the bigger measures which can be such, such excessive precedence for the American folks and for President Trump,” Johnson advised Newsmax on Monday.