The House of Representatives is set to vote Tuesday evening on a budget resolution that aims to pass much of President Donald Trump’s agenda.
The resolution is set to extend the 2017 Trump tax cuts, coupled with $300 billion for border and defense spending. It would also raise the federal debt ceiling by $4 trillion.
In a statement to The Daily Signal, Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., expressed confidence in what the Republicans were proposing.
“The American people sent a clear message in November with the election of President Trump. This budget resolution shows that House Republicans are committed to helping President Trump deliver on his America First agenda by securing our border, fully unleashing American energy, and providing relief through tax cuts to small businesses and hardworking families across the nation,” Moore said.
The budget bill comes as some House Republicans and fiscal policy hawks warn about the dangers of tax cuts not accompanied by sufficient decreases in government spending.
Richard Stern, The Heritage Foundation’s chief budget analyst, told The Daily Signal: “The deficits produce higher inflation rates and higher interest rates. Mortgage rates at a crushing 7%, and the 20% price spike for most families over the last four years, [both were] results of reckless federal deficits and spending.”
Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., remarked to radio talk-show host Todd Starnes yesterday on the need for a fiscal course correction in the United States.
“Trump is leading the way. This is a courageous move that has been long overdue. We’re $36 trillion in debt. We’ve been wasting taxpayer money for decades, and it’s time that we course-correct,” Burlison said.
At a press conference on Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., appeared to address some of the fiscal concerns.
“All of your children, all of our children and grandchildren, are going to be saddled with the debt that we are spending right now. It’s $36 trillion federal debt. The deficits have ballooned. We have to change that trajectory. Now. You don’t turn an aircraft carrier [around] on a dime. It takes miles of open ocean to turn an aircraft carrier, because it’s such a large vessel, I think the metaphor is obvious here. We can’t do it all at once, but we’re going to take a big bite out of that,” Johnson told reporters.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., criticized congressional Democrats for enabling the border crisis, which the budget reconciliation bill seeks to address. “They [Democrats] don’t want a secure border,” Scalise said.
Republicans touted the Trump administration’s moves to enforce American immigration law, and Johnson said that the budget reconciliation would keep their campaign promise of a secure border.
“We are delivering on our campaign promises. It was not just the promises of President Trump, it was the promises of House Republicans, and just as we promised, I was on a campaign trail all last year, you know, when all around the country, and I told them these things would happen, just as we promised, by using his executive authority and instructing federal agencies to follow the law. Illegal border crossings are now down dramatically,” Johnson said.
At the press conference, both Johnson and Scalise acknowledged they were still in talks with members of their party about ironing out the final details of the bill. With a 218 to 215 majority in the House, Johnson will have to ensure he does not suffer more than one Republican defection.
“Congress was given a mandate. Now, we must deliver on our promises,” Moore told The Daily Signal.