Home and Senate conservatives in a letter to their leaders Wednesday backed a two-step finances reconciliation course of to enact President-elect Trump’s agenda that will start with a border invoice, leaving tax laws for later.
“Following President Trump’s decisive victory, House and Senate Republicans now have a responsibility to do everything we can to help the President fulfill the promises he made to the American people,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter dated Wednesday.
The letter was addressed to incoming Senate Republican Chief John Thune (S.D.) and Home Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
“One of those promises was to secure our borders and restore the integrity of our nation’s immigration system after four years of President Biden’s open border policies,” the letter continues. “That is why we believe it is critical that we prioritize the prompt passage of a border security focused reconciliation bill.”
Signatories to the letter included Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
Home members signing it included Reps. Andy Harris (R-Md.), Chip Roy (R-Texas), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.), Bob Good (R-Va.), Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), Scott Perry (R-Pa.), Michael Cloud (R-Texas), Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.), Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), Clay Higgins (R-La.), Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), Mary Miller (R-In poor health.), Barry Moore (R-Ala.), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), Invoice Posey (R-Fla.), Keith Self (R-Texas), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) and Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho).
The GOP has been battling over the order during which to maneuver laws, with some Republicans arguing the complexity of tax reform and the necessity to make sure the Trump tax cuts don’t expire on the finish of subsequent 12 months imply that invoice ought to transfer first.
However Thune has endorsed the concept of transferring first on a border and vitality invoice, and that place additionally has the help of high Trump adviser Stephen Miller.
The group of conservatives who despatched the letter additionally famous the tight margins of management their celebration can have in each chambers subsequent 12 months, saying it “means that success is far from guaranteed” and due to that they “believe that a two-step reconciliation process gives us the best chance of securing passage of this transformational border security legislation.”
Underneath Senate particular finances reconciliation guidelines, the celebration controlling each the Home and Senate can transfer laws by means of the higher chamber by backing it with a easy majority of senators moderately than the traditional 60 votes wanted to move contentious laws.
The conservative lawmakers stated of their letter they assume “the first reconciliation bill introduced” subsequent Congress ought to incorporate funding lasting 4 years for particular border safety measures, restrictions on “a non-citizen’s ability to apply for and receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits” and measures encouraging “self-deportation by imposing significant financial penalties on aliens illegally in the United States.”
“The second budget reconciliation should primarily be focused on preventing the massive tax increase that automatically takes effect on January 1, 2026. Allowing that scenario to occur would undo the major economic benefits the country has enjoyed as a result of the landmark Trump Tax Cuts,” the lawmakers stated of their letter.
The lawmakers additionally stated that there’s a have to have the second finances reconciliation invoice “reduce the deficit by including necessary spending reforms and cuts” in order that it might probably make it by means of Congress.
“This includes, but is not limited to, repealing the green tax credits in Democrats’ so-called ‘Inflation Reduction Act’ and the estimated $2.5 trillion worth of cuts that the Department of Government Efficiency will identify as necessary to restore the fiscal health of the nation,” they added.
The Hill has reached out to Thune’s and Johnson’s places of work, in addition to the Democratic Nationwide Committee, for remark.
