President Donald Trump’s new budget bill will not be a “one-off” budget bill, with Republicans expecting to use it to fund the government through March as part of a new “supercommittee.”
But it will likely contain provisions to avoid a government default, and some of those provisions are aimed at forcing Republicans to vote on a plan that would avert a government shutdown.
Republican leaders plan Friday to introduce their first budget resolution since taking office on Jan. 20, a bill that is expected to include provisions that will force the government to make major cuts and increase taxes.
“It’s not just about how much tax cuts you put in, but how much you cut in order to fund your programs,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).
“It’s the kind of legislation that you could say that’s one-off.”
Trump has pledged to use the budget to “create jobs” and has repeatedly called for Republicans to use his tax cut plan to get the government going again.
But Republicans have been struggling to win over their base, with voters who backed Trump in 2016 in large numbers backing Democrats in midterm elections in 2018 and 2020.
The House, meanwhile, passed its version of the 2018 budget in early December, a move that led to a GOP push for a second bill to force a vote on its version.
And while House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R.
Calif.) has been pushing for a “clean” repeal of Obamacare, he has not been able to find a bipartisan group to work with in a new budget.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) have been negotiating a new compromise, and a new plan could include an option to make the Senate budget a “super-committee.”
The Trump administration has signaled that it is willing to use its budget powers to negotiate with Democrats on a budget, though it has not yet made a formal offer.
Trump has been adamant about using his budget powers on tax cuts, saying they are essential to the nation’s recovery.
But Democrats have been reluctant to take on the issue of tax increases and spending cuts.
If Republicans go forward with a bill, Democrats would need to accept its terms to override a presidential veto and send it to the Senate.
If they pass a bill and it is vetoed, the Senate would then vote on the president’s veto override authority.
There is little likelihood that Trump and the GOP will negotiate over tax increases, since they have not proposed one in the budget, but they are working to find bipartisan ways to fund other priorities.
A senior administration official said the White House is looking at ways to make spending cuts permanent, including using the government’s borrowing authority to pay down debt.
In the Senate, Republicans have indicated that they would use the spending authority to avoid the need for a government shut down.
Democrats, meanwhile have rejected a plan to eliminate Obamacare’s individual mandate, a popular component of the ACA.
Republicans are expected to use their supercommittee to vote Friday on a “resolution” that will include a plan for repealing the Affordable Care Act’s individual and employer mandates.
Senate Republicans have already passed the Senate version of their 2018 budget resolution, but Senate Democrats have rejected the measure because of its potential to cause a government debt default.
