With the midterms fast approaching, the temptation will be for both parties in Congress to pack it in and focus on campaigning. But Republicans must recognize that there is simply too much at stake to not pass another budget reconciliation bill enacting key elements of President Trump’s agenda before November.
While mid-decade redistricting means that control of Congress will likely come down to a few seats either way, the reality is that Republicans are running against very strong historical trends. Polling shows a smaller Democrat edge than at this point in 2018, but the GOP also has a smaller margin for error, with a majority of only a few seats. Republicans should not take anything for granted – they must make the most of these next few months.
Moreover, voters, and especially tuned-in GOP voters whom Republicans must turn out to have any hope of winning this November, expect more from their elected leaders. The Working Families Tax Cuts which Congress passed and President Trump signed into law last year were a monumental victory, but they were far from the complete fulfillment of the mandate that voters delivered to Republicans in 2024.
As long as the Senate filibuster remains in place – and Republicans simply do not have the votes currently to repeal that rule – budget reconciliation is the only option for passing meaningful legislation. The budget reconciliation process allows for the expedited passage of bills related to spending, taxes, and the federal debt limit with only a simple majority, rather than the 60-vote threshold required under the filibuster.
Republicans used this process to pass the Working Families Tax Cuts last year. They also used it earlier this year to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection through the end of President Trump’s term after Democrats shut down the Department of Homeland Security over opposition to President Trump’s enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws. Now, Republicans must use budget reconciliation again to deliver on more common-sense priorities.
Far and away the most important legislation that must be included in “Reconciliation 3.0” is the SAVE America Act. This bill institutes common-sense election security safeguards, most notably requiring individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote. It also requires in-person voters and mail-in voters to provide an eligible photo ID to vote in federal elections and mandates that states systematically remove noncitizens from their official voter rolls.
Congress also has the opportunity to double down on the massive success of the Working Families Tax Cuts – which just resulted in the biggest tax refund season in U.S. history – by passing additional targeted tax cuts to give everyday Americans a leg up. Seniors who continue to face rising costs for housing, groceries, utilities, and health care could receive additional targeted tax relief to help retirees keep more of what they have earned.
These tax cuts must also be paired with a comprehensive plan to root out and stop the rampant waste, fraud, and abuse in federal programs that has been exposed over the past two years. As various government and independent investigations have shown, thieves and fraudsters are stealing hundreds of billions of dollars from virtually every government welfare program. The Department of Justice currently has more than 8,000 active fraud cases.
Congress can massively empower Vice President JD Vance’s White House Fraud Task Force to uncover even more of this fraud and put a stop to it. A recent study from the Cato Institute has identified major structural flaws in government welfare programs that Congress could fix, potentially saving taxpayers nearly $6 trillion over the next decade.
Finally, Congress can use a “Reconciliation 3.0” bill to fully fund and bolster the United States military. Democrats who oppose the conflict in Iran want to starve the military of critical funding needed for basic functions. Republicans can ensure that the United States remains on a strong defense footing without making any concessions to Democrats that would imperil American defense posture at home or abroad.
As always, the specifics will need to be haggled over, but what shouldn’t be up for debate is the urgent imperative for Republicans to get another reconciliation bill hammered out and passed before November 3. Voters elect their representatives and senators to govern, not campaign.
Reconciliation 3.0 is an opportunity for Republicans to prove that their word is worth something and secure a major victory ahead of the midterms. Delivering election security, lower taxes, less fraud, and a strong military would be more impactful than any TV ad or stump speech ever could.
Shane Harris is the Editor-in-Chief of AMAC Newsline. You can follow him on X @shaneharris513.
