Speaker Johnson is facing another test of his leadership as he tries to shepherd through a key budget resolution, which would pave the way for Republicans to use the budget reconciliation process to pass President Trump’s agenda in “one big, beautiful bill.”Mr. Johnson had originally planned to hold a vote on the measure on Tuesday. However, with Republicans’ 218-215 majority, they can only suffer one defection if every member is present.Republicans cleared one hurdle Tuesday afternoon as they voted 217-211 to adopt the rule on the budget that sets up a final vote on the measure, though its future is still uncertain as several Republicans have expressed opposition to the bill. Four Democrats were absent in the vote to pass the rule, and if they do not show up for the vote on final passage, it could make the math a little bit easier for Republicans. After a meeting of House Republicans on Tuesday morning, four lawmakers signaled their opposition to the budget resolution due to concerns that it does not include enough spending cuts. Congressman Tim Burchett told NBC News after the meeting, “I’m still a no.”Congressman Thomas Massie, who has become one of Mr. Johnson’s leading detractors in the House, said he plans to vote against the measure. Congressman Warren Davidson and Congresswoman Victoria Spartz also signaled their opposition to the bill after the meeting. The resolution, if passed by the House and Senate, would start the process for Republicans to craft a bill that they pass through the budget reconciliation process, thus bypassing the 60-vote threshold normally needed for legislation to pass the Senate. The resolution allows for up to $4.5 trillion in new deficits to extend Mr. Trump’s 2017 tax cuts. It also calls for $300 billion in new spending for border security, a $4 trillion debt limit increase, and a target of $2 trillion in spending cuts. Mr. Johnson plans to move swiftly to draft “one big, beautiful bill,” as Mr. Trump called it, that would be the vehicle for passing the president’s priorities on taxes and border and military spending. If everything goes smoothly, the speaker said at an Americans for Prosperity event that he hopes to be able to get the bill on Mr. Trump’s desk by early May. Mr. Johnson is expressing optimism that he can secure the votes necessary to pass the resolution, even if it’s a little later than he originally planned. He originally planned on holding a vote at 6 p.m. Tuesday. However, after the morning meeting, Mr. Johnson opened the door for the vote to be delayed, saying, “There may be a vote tonight, there may not. Stay tuned.” Due to the Republicans’ slim majority, the speaker was already seeming to express some nervousness about the ability to get the resolution passed. At the Americans for Prosperity event Monday, he said there “may be more than one” Republican that opposes the resolution, but said, “We’re going to get everybody there.”“This is a prayer request. Just pray this through for us because it is very high-stakes, and everybody knows that,” he added. When asked if he has a plan in case the budget resolution is not passed this week, he said, “I’ve got a whole playbook, but I’m not going to tell you [about] that.”After his comment, he was faced with another potential: Elon Musk.Mr. Massie posted on X on Monday evening, “If the Republican budget passes, the deficit gets worse, not better.” Mr. Musk, who has previously thrown a wrench in budget negotiations, responded, “That sounds bad.”In December, Mr. Musk helped kill a bipartisan budget deal after he posted his opposition to it on his social media platform, forcing Republicans to scramble to develop a new proposal and avert a government shutdown. Mr. Johnson told Politico he had “no concerns” that Mr. Musk’s post would kill the resolution.
