The Republican-controlled House of Representatives is moving forward on President Donald Trump’s domestic agenda. But major hurdles remain.
After months of tense negotiations, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Ways and Means Committee, and Agriculture Committee all released draft versions of their budget reconciliation bills on Monday. The bills are slated for a markup process on Tuesday, where committee members have an opportunity to review, amend, and rewrite the legislation before deciding whether to advance it to the full House for a vote.
Despite the progress, Speaker Mike Johnson still has a tall task ahead of him to pass a final package through the chamber. House Republicans have a historically slim 220-213 majority – meaning they can only afford to lose two votes and still pass the bill.
The ongoing negotiations over the legislation have put hardline fiscal conservatives (who want steeper spending reductions) at odds with GOP moderates who are concerned about some proposed cuts to government programs. Any group of three or more House Republicans has the power to derail the entire legislation.
Nonetheless, the package will likely be congressional Republicans’ best opportunity to pass a large portion of Trump’s agenda into law.
Because of the Senate’s filibuster rule, virtually all legislation needs 60 votes in the upper chamber to pass – meaning that most bills are dead on arrival. One major exception is budget bills, which require only a simple majority to pass. During the Biden administration, Democrats used this special carve-out to pass the gargantuan “Build Back Better Act,” which enacted large portions of Democrats’ “Green New Deal” and poured money into left-wing priorities.
Now, Trump is taking a similar approach, calling for a “Big, Beautiful Bill” that contains his top domestic priorities. Congress will need to pass it to ensure that a future Democrat president cannot quickly undo all the changes Trump has made via executive action thus far.
The draft bill released on Monday is 389 pages and would make the tax reductions from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent, as well as increase the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap to $30,000 from the previous $10,000. The bill also would include Trump’s promise of eliminating taxes on tips and overtime, increasing the debt ceiling by $4 trillion, and temporarily increasing the child tax credit to $2,500 through 2028.
The White House posted on X that the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” would save 6 million jobs, including 1.1 million jobs in manufacturing and 719,000 jobs in retail trade. Speaker Johnson praised the bill in an interview with Lara Trump on Fox News.
“We have been working hard trying to keep up with the president. The reconciliation package, of course, is a big part of that,” Johnson said. “And that will be the vehicle where we deliver most of the America First agenda. A lot of work has gone into this. We’ve been working on that package for over a year in anticipation of this moment because we knew he was going to win another term.”
The bill would also tax money that foreign workers send back to their home countries at a five percent rate to make up some revenue for the cuts, along with instituting steeper taxes on university endowments. Universities that have endowments over $2 million per student would pay a tax of 21 percent on annual endowment profits.
Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) originally introduced a bill in January that would raise the taxes on university endowment profits to 21 percent. He explained to the Daily Caller that he was satisfied with the language in the bill.
“I’m pleased the primary provisions of my bill, the Endowment Tax Fairness Act, are included in the House Ways and Means reconciliation proposal,” he said. “I am proud to have led this effort and applaud Chairman Smith’s hard work and leadership. Every day, we are one step closer to delivering President Trump’s one big, beautiful bill. Let’s get it done and do some good for the American people.”
The bill does not include every idea that has been discussed leading up to Monday’s release. Republicans did not include a tax increase for the wealthy. There is also no tax exemption for Social Security income, but Americans 65 and older who do not itemize their deductions will be able to receive an additional $4,000 on their standard deduction.
The House has just seven legislative days left before the Memorial Day Recess, when Johnson has stated he wants to push the reconciliation package through the House. That would put Congress on track to deliver the final bill to President Trump’s desk by July 4.
Alan Jamison is the pen name of a political writer with extensive experience writing for several notable politicians and news outlets.
These so-called moderate republicans need to be primaried and expelled from office.
We should not have to pay one red set on our social security check.
And are you kidding me, Only taxing universities that have endowments of over two million dollars per student? That works out to 2 billion dollars for every one thousand students. Colleges and universities should have to pay taxes just the same as every other business. And that’s what they are, businesses. And they should never receive one red cent of mine or your taxpayer money.
The RINOS NEED TO STEP UP AND GET THIS BILL PASSED AS WRITTEN. NO TAX ON SOCIAL SECURITY. GET A SPINE. FOR THE GOOD OF THE COUNTRY. WEED OUT THE GRIFT, FRAUD. MORE OVERSIGHT ON BUDGET SPENDING. AND STOP THE ABUSE OF TRANS SPENDING OVERSEES.
WORK IT OUT REPUBLICANS! … this perfect storm for the 3 branches may not be around after 2026! DON’T BLOW IT!
NO TAXES ON SOCIAL SECURITY! WE’VE ALREADY PAID OUR DUES!!!
So far looking at the draft of the pieces of the bill that are on-line, it is acceptable. I expect we’ll see the rest of the bill soon, so it can be thoroughly reviewed.
I understand the trade-offs and compromises that had to be made to get the necessary votes from the so-called “moderate” Republican House members and the few that just want to say reflexively say “no” to everything. So far, I haven’t found any hidden gotchas of any significant or truly critical nature in the pieces of the bill released. Although as usual for most legislation put out by Congress, it is a constant slog to translate unnecessarily overly complex legalistic jargon back into English.
The big hurdle will be in the Senate, when we get to see how obstructionist the remaining McConnell acolytes decide to be. A number of them are currently making noises about wanting to preserve pieces of the Biden green new deal, because it personally benefits them. So, it’s important to not let up on the pressure the American people are putting on Congress as a whole. This is the most important piece of legislation of President Trump’s second term. If it isn’t passed, the American people will be hit with a $4.5 trillion dollar tax hike come January 1, 2026, from the expiration of the 2017 tax cuts.
Seniors need to be considered first – we were promised no more tax on social security… no tax on overtime or tips needs to be considered, but only AFTER no tax on social security.
Seniors always seem to get left behind. An additional $4K deduction (if you don’t itemize) is a far cry from the promised ZERO TAX on Social Security. The generations that contributed the most, paid the most and are now living on fixed incomes are losing all they’ve worked for to pay ridiculous taxes (federal, real estate, school, hospital district and state income taxes, not to mention sales tax). Seniors actually “deserve” tax relief!! What a shame that the promised exemption is excluded from the draft.
What a disappointment, double taxation continues for SS. Worked hard for 44.5 years to finally retire and they still want to tax me to death. It’s time to get rid of the Rhino’s and most Dems in Washington. Sick and tired of those folks getting rich off of the tax payers of this country.
They did not include exempting Social Security! I want to know who thought that was a great idea. The people need to rise up again and vote these individuals out of power. Let’s promote the idea of removing their pensions which they vote to increase at every opportunity they get.
what about no tax on social security
There are poison pills in the bill. Kevin O’Leary pointed a big one this morning. It empowers the IRS to investigate and audit the businesses who received Employer Retention Credit during the covid debacle. This will allow IRS to harass small businesses even though the statute of limitations has run out.
If there was fraud, the fraud needs to be handled like an investigation of a crime, not by giving IRS carte-blanc to audit every single entity who received any funds. IRS doesn’t need any additional powers at all.
What happened to “no taxes on Social Security”??? I guess it goes back to the old saying of Don’t Believe Everything You Hear. All those times it was stated No Taxes on Social Security, over and over, turns out to just be LIES.
“The bill also would include Trump’s promise of eliminating taxes on tips and overtime, increasing the debt ceiling by $4 trillion,”
I am sick of conservatives talking about tax cuts increasing the debt or saying “If you cut taxes, how will you pay for it?” Cutting taxes, tax rates, or giving tax breaks does not increase debt. Speniding increases debt Allowing people to keep more of their earnings does not add to debt. When are we going to finally get this right?
I’m tired of it all, all we get is distortions and half truths! Maybe IF both the House & Senate had to work seven days a week, 12 hour days (like I did during the fall of Siagon) they’d get their work done!!! Where are all the arrests of all these NGO’ers who broke the law assisting illegal immigration??? Where’s LAST years budget?? Why aren’t all the cuts found by DOGE being implimented?? IT DIDN”T TAKE NANCY THIS LONG???
My social security should not be taxed. I paid my taxes already. My social security is being taxed at 85% for Federal taxes because it is included in my total adjusted income. How is this fair? This should be changed before no tax on tips and overtime. Why are individuals who want to improve their life get taxed over and over again.
I want the bill to pass, but Republicans screwed SSI recipients by keeping the tax in place. My wife had to take early SSI and has to wait 3 years before getting the income tax credit, if it’s still in place by then. As others have posted, we’ve paid enough into SSI out of our paychecks all our adult lives. WE DESERVE NO TAX ON SSI!!!!
Increase the debt ceiling? I thought DOGE was supposed to be significantly LOWERING the debt–should be!
Nothing changes Americans still getting screwed over pay back the money that was stolen from social security get rid of the slush funds ECT make the Senate and Congress do away with there stock piles of money to pay of the people they sexually assault no more pardens for family members unless the American people can have them as well what happened to drain the swamp and getting rid of the rats
I didn’t think we old people would get a break on taxes. Not all of us are rich or even well off. people who have never had to without,just can’t wrap their heads around what it’s like. Take Death benefits for example. Parents work themselves to death for their Children and pay into a system that if you Die early. Your grown children get 0 and the spouse gets a $255.00 dollar lump sum or again 0 The Government keeps all the money The Father,Mother was forced to pay all their life and ” It;s NOT Right ” Who fights for them NO one ! Don’t believe me Check it out for your self.
To keep peace mind. Pray, wait and see!
With Millions, Billions and Trillions of THE AMERICAN PEOPLE’S money being GIVEN away to Marxist universities, NGO’s and into the pockets of those in the deep State…WHY IS IT SO HARD to STOP that funding and GIVE IT BACK TO US. Our money is better in OUR HANDS!! The Government NEEDS TO BE REDUCED by Hundreds of people!! And 90% of Taxes Need To Be Cut if there is THAT MUCH of our Taxes being WASTED E V E R Y YEAR!!
Wow. Work 44 years contributing to the country, try to collect what you paid in and get screwed! Not because I earn so much money but because my wife works. More taxes. But give a big deduction to blue state folks paying ridiculous taxes to the states so they can increase the rates to fund more left wing projects. Brilliant. And penalizing low/no tax red states for being good to their citizens. Let’s change commissions to automatically added gratuities so they aren’t taxed. I expected better of Trump, should have known rino congress would keep up the deep state. They are all crooks!
How about you stand up for Seniors !!!
Excluding no tax on Social Security from this bill is inexcusable! Congress needs to make taking care of its senior citizens a priority. This exclusion is a disgrace!
Not happy with this bill. We were promised no tax on social security and as usual get screwed in the end.
I was pretty sure Congress does not have the fortitude to cut spending enough to allow for eliminating tax on SS. They do have the courage to triple the SALT deduction for people that live in states with ridiculously high state income taxes though. A $4,000 increase in the standard deduction for seniors. A slap in the face to seniors once again. Okay AMAC, jump in there anytime. Start lobbying for seniors and push Congress to add the SS exemption back in the bill as President Trump promised. I will contact my Congress members and let them know if they vote for this bill without the SS exemption, they will not receive my vote in the future.
Well I am disappointed that SS will still be taxed. I took such a horrible loss on my home during covid and inflation ate up all I had. The Gov should not tax the elderly that live on their SS checks. Once the elderly no longer work, it isn’t right to tax them or make them file taxes at all. The Gov keeps making us move our money to protect it from them. It’s sickening. The elderly can’t rest because they are always having to jump through hoops constantly to save their skin. Inflation pushes us out of our homes with higher taxes and higher cost of living etc. The Rat Race never ends.
I would’ve liked to have seen a small increase at the top bracket, e.g. from 37% to 39% for those making over $600,000 a year, the idea being to help pay for things that no one is willing to constrain. This would amount to a $2,000 tax increase for someone who made $700,000. Quite doable, in my opinion. The $30,000 SALT exemption is also way over the top. Apparently the monied folks had a lot to say about the package.
And if this passes and Trump signs it, does that mean the debt ceiling won’t get raised? Does this mean REAL cuts in government spending? Does any of this really help us from going over the edge? I pray it does cuz if we go bankrupt, so does the world!
Removing the “No tax on social security” will cost Republicans dearly in the mid-terms.
A broken promise!
I’m sad to see the promise to include a tax exemption for Social Security income was not included. That is a big one for most of us older folk.
Increasing the debt ceiling by 4 trillion! What happened to the promise made … balanced budget. Even though I am 72 years old and have retired and gone back to work, I am more heartbroken about increasing the debt than I am about STILL paying taxes on SS. Is God really leading President Trump?!?
Still going to tax SS, Wow what happened to promises made, promises kept? How about the people who finally got back some of the money they should have been receiving for years. A lump sum payment plus an increase in their monthly check. How is that going to hit them in paying taxes for 2025?
What happened to ceasing income tax on Social Security benefits Mr. Trump? Perhaps if you stopped all funding and spy data to the Nazi regime in Ukraine that would open up some money allowing Social Security recipients to stop being taxed twice on THEIR money. I can remember a time when everyone other than a few nutbags, thought of Nazis as “evil”. Now the little green tracksuit wearing JINO (Jew in name only), Nazi is sometimes referred to as a “modern day Churchill). That sure is indicative of how far our country has fallen. My father spent the last 34 years of his life in agony from wounds he received in WW2 as a field medic. If he were alive today there would not be a politician in D.C. that could consider themselves safe. He, and his surviving friends, despised fascism as represented by the Nazi regime of Germany. If he could see his country actively supporting those creatures now in Ukraine, well first he wouldn’t believe it but when he found the truth, well think the name “Charles Whitman”, except on some tower in DC and not on the UT campus in Austin.
Nazis are the enemy of mankind and we should stop any and all support of those animals. President Trump continues to BS by telling lies about how “if I had won in 2020 the war never would have occurred”. I call that a blatant lie as under his first term the US spent tens upon tens of billions on arming and training the Ukraine military. I guess President Trump will counter that “John Bolton and Mike Pompeo acted behind my back”. Again I say “BULL++IT”. You were the President and as such, as former President Truman remarked, “the buck stops here”, referring to his office, his desk.
We can’t compete with China so our first reaction is to declare economic war on them for the idiotic notion that they are “overproducing”. What a laughable concept. Since we can’t compete as we lack the infrastructure and the workers willing to do assembly line type work, maybe try working WITH the Chinese rather than essentially trying to rob them blind and taking what they worked hard for. Same with Russia. Trump gave limited lip service for a short time as to working together with the Russians to mutual benefit. Then he actually listens to that moron Keith Kellogg and starts backing the globalist idiots that make up the EU nations in western Europe. All in a “will never happen” effort at somehow obtaining regime change in Russia and breaking up that nation into mini states we soy infused wusses can control. Well, over the past almost three years, Russia who OUR polls show some 87% support for their leader, has literally kicked the backside of the collective west. They have beaten down the entirety of NATO and drained the weapons coffers of both NATO and the US Military. Some neo cons such as the preening girly man, Lindsay Graham, continue to call for more and more money to be funneled into Ukraine to continue this madness and to continue to fight until the last Ukrainian has breathed his last breath.
It is very apparent that President Trumps father didn’t fight a single minute in WW2 or he would have passed along the visceral hatred for Nazis to his chubby orange hued son and the very idea of supporting a Nazi regime would have never been considered by the President.
The war in Ukraine is no longer “Joe Bidens War”, it is now “Donald Trumps War” and it will be he that will have the stain of deserved loss on his legacy when Russia finishes exactly what President Putin has always said, “to de-militarize and de-Nazify Ukraine”.
Stop supporting fascism President Trump and actually start making America great again.