President Donald Trump’s bold domestic agenda just cleared a key hurdle, but conservatives aren’t popping champagne yet.
The House Budget Committee’s razor-thin approval on Sunday, May 18, 2025, signals a gritty fight ahead for a package that’s heavy on tax cuts and light on progressive pet projects. It’s a step toward draining the swamp, though the Senate looms like a buzzsaw.
NBC News reported that the committee’s 17-16 vote, split strictly along party lines, advanced a multitrillion-dollar plan that boosts immigration enforcement and military spending while extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts.
Conservatives, stung by Friday’s rejection, grudgingly allowed progress after weekend negotiations, but they’re still demanding sharper cuts to Medicaid and clean energy credits. Speaker Mike Johnson is pushing for a House vote by Thursday, May 22, 2025, with Memorial Day as the drop-dead date.
Friday, May 16, 2025, was a rough day for GOP unity, as conservative hard-liners tanked the bill over its deficit-bloating size and weak spending cuts.
Four Republicans—Reps. Ralph Norman, Chip Roy, Andrew Clyde, and Josh Brecheen—flipped to “present” votes by Sunday, giving just enough wiggle room for passage. Their shift shows the MAGA base’s muscle, forcing leaders to scramble for deals.
“I’m excited about the changes we made, and I will vote present,” Rep. Ralph Norman crowed. Excited, sure, but “present” isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement—it’s a warning shot that conservatives expect more. The bill’s still a work in progress, and these folks aren’t signing blank checks.
The package itself is a conservative fever dream with guardrails: more border security cash, beefed-up military funding, and tax cuts saved from expiration.
To pay for it, Medicaid and food assistance take a hit, and clean energy credits get the axe—moves that make woke bureaucrats wince. But conservatives gripe it’s not enough, pointing to delayed Medicaid work requirements and sluggish green energy rollbacks.
Chairman Jodey Arrington, dodging specifics like a seasoned quarterback, teased ongoing talks. “Deliberations continue at this very moment,” he said, adding they’ll stretch “right up until we put this big, beautiful bill on the House floor.” Sounds optimistic, but his refusal to spill details hints at messy backroom deals still in flux.
“We’re not going to disclose the deliberations,” Arrington doubled down, claiming he couldn’t even if he wanted to. That’s code for “we’re haggling with hard-liners, and it’s not pretty.” Transparency’s nice, but in Washington, sausage-making stays behind closed doors.
Rep. Chip Roy, never one to mince words, threw cold water on the hype. “The bill does not yet meet the moment,” he declared, insisting lawmakers “must do better” before final passage. He’s right—half-measures won’t cut it when the base demands bold action over bloated budgets.
Conservatives want Medicaid work requirements kicked in now, not in 2029, and they’re itching to shred clean energy tax credits faster than a paper shredder at a bureaucracy.
These aren’t minor quibbles; they’re red lines for a GOP base fed up with business-as-usual spending. Without concessions, the bill’s House passage is shakier than a Jenga tower in a windstorm.
Speaker Johnson’s rallying cry—“Get this vote done by Thursday”—is ambitious, but the clock’s ticking. The House Rules Committee starts dissecting the bill at 1 a.m. ET on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, where amendments could make or break it. If Johnson wants a Memorial Day win, he’d better bring his A-game.
The full House is no slam dunk, as conservative holdouts could still derail the train. Even if it passes, the Senate’s a different beast, unlikely to rubber-stamp without major tweaks. Bipartisan compromise? Good luck with that in today’s polarized Capitol.
No Congressional Budget Office score exists yet to pin down the bill’s deficit impact, which is like driving blind in a fiscal storm. Critics, especially on the left, will pounce if the numbers show red ink piling up. Conservatives, meanwhile, want deeper cuts to avoid that trap altogether.
Republican leaders spent the weekend sweet-talking their rebellious right flank, and it barely moved the needle. The four “present” votes show progress, but not loyalty—more like a grudging truce. That’s the MAGA coalition: united in vision, fractious in execution.
“There are no formal or final changes,” Arrington admitted, which is Washington-speak for “we’re still figuring this out.” The House Rules Committee’s late-night session will be a pressure cooker, with amendments flying like arrows. Expect conservatives to push hard for their priorities, and progressives to cry foul over every cut.