EXCLUSIVE: Home Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., mentioned he would oppose the Senate’s model of sweeping laws to advance President Donald Trump’s agenda if it was voted on in his chamber this week.
“At this level, I might vote towards it,” Harris advised Fox Information Digital in an interview on Monday morning.
He is additionally calling for the Home and Senate to get to work on their very own variations of the plan, after the latter handed an amended model of the previous’s laws within the early hours of Saturday morning.
The Maryland Republican, who leads the Home GOP’s most conservative group, is the highest-ranking GOP lawmaker to come back out towards the laws to this point.
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Home Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris is opposing Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan to carry a vote on a Senate model of Congress’ Trump-focused reconciliation invoice. (Getty Photographs)
It comes as different fiscal hawks voice considerations concerning the Senate’s model of the laws – particularly, that it mandates not less than $4 billion in spending cuts, in comparison with $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion within the Home.
“I imply, if the Senate really is ready to ship on significant deficit discount, we may simply cross the Senate amendments to the Home price range decision,” Harris mentioned.
“However once more, I am not prepared to try this till I see what the deficit discount, the precise deficit discount that the Senate has in thoughts, is.”
Congressional Republicans are engaged on an enormous piece of laws that Trump has dubbed “one huge, lovely invoice” to advance his agenda on border safety, protection, power, and taxes.
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They will cross such a measure by way of the price range reconciliation course of. Historically used when one get together controls all three branches of presidency, reconciliation lowers the Senate’s threshold for passage of sure fiscal measures from 60 votes to 51.
Because of this, it has been used to cross broad coverage modifications in a single or two huge items of laws.
The Home’s framework handed in late February, and included some new funding for protection and border safety, together with $4.5 trillion for extending Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and implementing newer Trump proposals like no taxes on tipped wages.
The framework additionally known as for between $1.5 trillion and $2 trillion in spending cuts, depending on how a lot Trump’s tax insurance policies would add to the nationwide deficit – one thing that was key to successful help from deficit hawks.
Senate Majority Chief Sen. John Thune of South Dakota speaks to reporters, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, after a Senate coverage luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photograph/Jacquelyn Martin) (AP Photograph/Jacquelyn Martin)
It additionally raised the debt restrict, one thing Trump has particularly requested Republicans to take care of, by $4 trillion. The Senate’s model would elevate the debt restrict by $5 trillion.
In a letter to Home GOP colleagues on Sunday, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., mentioned lawmakers would vote on the Senate’s amended model this week.
However Johnson insisted that the Senate’s passage of its framework merely permits the Home to start engaged on its model of the invoice handed in February – and that it doesn’t impede their course of in any manner.
“The Senate modification as handed makes NO CHANGES to the Home reconciliation directions that we voted for simply weeks in the past. Though the Senate selected to take a unique method on its directions, the amended decision in NO WAY prevents us from attaining our objectives within the remaining reconciliation invoice,” the letter mentioned.
“We’ve and can proceed to make it clear in all discussions with the Senate and the White Home that—to be able to safe Home passage—the ultimate reconciliation invoice should embody historic spending reductions whereas defending important applications.”
Johnson’s workplace pointed again to the letter when reached for touch upon Monday.
Passing a reconciliation framework, which merely outlines top-line spending figures, permits Congress to maneuver on to the subsequent step of really crafting coverage to accompany these top-lines.
However conservatives like Harris have countered that they see no must vote on the Senate’s model of the invoice to start work within the Home.
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“They simply assume that now we have to maintain the prepare transferring ahead. However once more, if we simply start to craft the precise reconciliation packages, that retains the prepare transferring ahead as properly,” Harris mentioned.
He left the door open to supporting the Senate’s work, regardless of ruling out help for its speedy providing.
“I nonetheless assume that we should always simply ask the Senate to start crafting their reconciliation invoice, after which in the event that they ship on their promise of deficit discount, then I am advantageous with their price range decision,” Harris mentioned.
