President Donald Trump is mounting a pressure campaign on members of the U.S. House of Representatives’ ultraconservative bloc as he seeks to flip their votes on the mammoth budget package that will fund much of his domestic policy agenda.
Hardline members of the House Freedom Caucus oppose the Senate’s version of the legislation, arguing that it would add $1.3 trillion to the federal deficit. The group also says the Senate-passed bill violates the House’s budget framework they previously negotiated with Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La.
Freedom Caucus members Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Ralph Norman, R-S.C., voted against the legislation in the House Rules Committee Tuesday night. Several other caucus members have suggested they may also vote ‘no’ when the bill is on the House floor unless changes are made.
This poses an issue for Johnson as he can only afford to lose three votes within his party with full attendance. The Freedom Caucus has more than three members signaling opposition to the legislation, meaning the group has the potential to tank the bill on the House floor.
Trump rallied these hardliners at the White House Wednesday in an attempt to get them on board with his “big, beautiful bill.” However, upon leaving the meeting, some members signaled that Trump was ineffective in changing their minds.
“It didn’t sway my opinion,” holdout Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., said after talks with the administration, according to Punchbowl News.
Conservatives are not the only ones demonstrating resistance against the budget package.
A group of moderate Republicans in high-tax blue states are unhappy with changes the Senate made to the state and local tax (SALT) deduction provisions. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., was one of these moderates seen arriving at the West Wing Wednesday.
Johnson signaled he hopes to call a final vote on the budget legislation Thursday at the latest.
