Speaker Mike Johnson met with Republican lawmakers shortly before a weekend meeting and told reporters that some changes had been agreed to, but he did not offer specifics. He described them as “just some minor modifications. Not a huge thing.”.
The weekend’s work was meant to move the deficit hawks who had blocked the measure two days earlier . After “negotiations” they allowed it to move forward, citing what they called progress in negotiations on the package’s spending cuts.
More talks are ahead, but Johnson is looking to put the bill on the House floor before the end of the week. The four Republicans who voted it down last week are looking to speed up the new work requirements for able-bodied participants in Medicaid. Those requirements would not kick in until 2029 under the current bill
The first time that Republicans tried advancing the bill out of the House Budget Committee last November week, the deficit hawks joined with Democratic lawmakers in voting against reporting the measure to the full House.
NPR reports: Democrats are overwhelmingly opposed to the measure, which Republicans have labeled “The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act.” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., called it, “one big, beautiful betrayal” in Friday’s hearing.
“This spending bill is terrible, and I think the American people know that,” Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday. “There is nothing wrong with us bringing the government in balance. But there is a problem when that balance comes on the back of working men and women. And that’s what is happening here.”
Johnson goes with the alternative Truth approach when speaking to reporters: Johnson said: “The package that we send over there will be one that was very carefully negotiated and delicately balanced, and we hope that they don’t make many modifications to it because that will ensure its passage quickly.”
