Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) is scrambling to negotiate with competing factions of his conference as the clock ticks to advance President Donald J. Trump’s agenda through the House next week. Today at 2:30 P.M, House Republicans will meet in private to discuss the GOP mega-bill to try shore up the votes to pass the legislation before the House leaves for Memorial Day recess next Friday. Four distinct groups stand in the way of a majority vote for the House GOP: the SALT Caucus, the hard-liners, the clean energy moderates and the Medicaid moderates.
This morning, blue-state Republicans who are pushing to boost a key tax deduction will meet with Speaker Johnson, members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and other lawmakers. The meeting comes as New Jersey, California and New York Republicans continue to hold out for a better deal on an increase to the $10,000 state and local tax deduction cap. Tax legislation that passed the Ways and Means Committee early Wednesday morning includes a $30,000 cap with a new income limit on the deduction, but so-called SALT Republicans are unsatisfied with the proposal. At the same time, House GOP hard-liners are livid over a move by leadership to delay implementation of new work requirements for Medicaid for several years and ultraconservatives are demanding changes in order to support the legislation. Hardliners want to move up the start date for the work requirements, which are set to begin in 2029 under the current language in the bill.
For today, the Senate will take up Confirmation of Executive Calendar #88 Sean Donahue, to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and a Motion to discharge S.Res.195 a resolution requesting information on El Salvador’s human rights practices pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
The House is expected to take up pursuant to a Rule, H.R. 2255 – Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act of 2025 and H.R. 2240 – Improving Law Enforcement Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act.
