House Republican leaders announced Tuesday they intend to unveil and move forward with their framework for a third budget reconciliation bill this week, scheduling a markup and vote in the Budget Committee for Thursday. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) confirmed the timeline during a morning press conference, stating, “Reconciliation 3.0 is in process. There will be a markup this week.”
Johnson revealed that he had been in late-night discussions with Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) to finalize details. “I expect it’ll be noticed today for a markup on Thursday, and you will see the details of that,” the Speaker added, though he declined to outline the bill’s specific provisions.
The legislation will move through the reconciliation process, which requires only a simple majority in the Senate, allowing Republicans to bypass the 60-vote threshold and advance partisan priorities. The bill is expected to include a significant boost in Pentagon funding, a program encouraging states to adopt voter ID laws and other restrictions tied to the Trump-backed Safeguard American Voting Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, and measures targeting alleged fraud in federal programs.
The push comes as House Republicans navigate a razor-thin majority, with fiscal hawks demanding the bill be fully paid for and swing-district members wary of potential political blowback ahead of the next election. “We’re working through with members, as you know how this is done, to build consensus so we can lay that out,” Johnson said, acknowledging the delicate balancing act.
Johnson, White House staff, and House Budget Committee Republicans met at Camp David on Monday to hash out the framework. The Speaker described the session as “very productive” in a social media post. Meanwhile, the White House has requested $350 billion in supplemental funding amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, adding another layer of complexity to the negotiations.
Johnson and other Republican leaders are scheduled to attend a briefing at the Pentagon Tuesday night with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to discuss the administration’s defense needs, much of which will be classified. “You heard the president talk about how he wants to effectively double the funding for national defense. Look, we live in dangerous times. We’re fighting communism on our own shores, and we’re fighting evil terrorists and tyrants around the world, and we have to be able to protect our national security,” Johnson said.
The internal rifts within the GOP were highlighted in recent weeks, as GOP leaders faced internal rifts over Trump's birthright citizenship bill, underscoring the challenges of uniting the caucus. The reconciliation bill also coincides with heightened international tensions, as Trump is set to address the nation Thursday amid renewed Iran tensions over the Hormuz blockade.
As the process unfolds, Johnson and his team are working to balance competing factions within the party, all while advancing a legislative package that could define the GOP’s agenda in the run-up to the next election cycle.
