How will Republicans pass Trump's agenda? The president-elect leaves it up to divided GOP leaders
WASHINGTON – President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday again declined to break a tie between Republican lawmakers who are eager to pass his agenda – but don't agree on their next steps.
Here's the issue: House Republicans want all their big priorities – border security, energy and tax policy – rolled into one massive bill. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans would prefer to break it down into two big bills, one tackling border and energy first and another on tax policy.
GOP senators argue taxes are going to spark a fight in Congress and take some time, so that's why they want to move first on immigration and the nation's energy industry. And what they decide may determine how much of Trump's agenda can be accomplished in his first 100 days in office.
Republicans in both chambers have said privately that they'd do whatever Trump wants. But during another marathon press conference Tuesday, the president-elect left the issue muddled.
"I like the idea of one big, beautiful bill," he said before adding, "but I could live either way."
Lawmakers from both chambers plan to travel to Mar-a-Lago over the weekend, where they'll likely determine which path to take. Members of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, House committee chairs and lawmakers whose state are affected by a key tax deduction are expected to visit Trump's Florida estate and hammer out their GOP priorities.
Trump is also expected to meet with Senate Republicans on Wednesday, and Trump said some senators will also come down to Mar-a-Lago.
"Ultimately, we'll be meeting in the White House in a few weeks," Trump said. He will be inaugurated as president on Jan. 20.
Republicans will have a coveted trifecta in Washington, at least for the next two years, and they want to deliver on Trump's agenda as quickly as possible. But accomplishing that will be complicated by razor-thin margins in the House and the filibuster in the Senate.
Republicans' exact majority in the House will shift over the first few weeks of Trump's second term, as Reps. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. and Mike Waltz, R-Fla., plan to leave Congress for roles in his administration. When they are replaced through special elections, the GOP lead in the lower chamber is expected to reach 220-215.
That's a tiny majority. It leaves little room for Republican disagreement if they want to pass bills along party lines, and GOP infighting has become the norm in recent years. That's why a single bill with lots of conservative priorities might be easier to pass through the narrowly divided chamber.
In the Senate, Republicans have a 53-47 majority. That's enough to comfortably pass agreed-upon GOP priorities, but not enough to easily approve controversial ones that may lose the support of moderate senators like Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
The Senate majority is also not big enough to overcome the 60-vote threshold necessary to pass most legislation. That's why Republicans plan to pass Trump's agenda through a party-line "reconciliation" process that requires only a majority to agree – but can only be used for tax- and spending-related policies.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has pushed for a two-bill strategy in order to quickly deliver on Trump's priorities while they work out the kinks of an in-depth tax bill.