House Republicans muscled through a budget resolution Wednesday that sets the stage for a sweeping spending bill combining military operations against Iran, agricultural support, and a controversial push to restrict voting across the country. The chamber voted 216-214, mostly along party lines, to advance the measure.
The razor-thin margin exposed cracks in Republican unity. Three Republicans and all Democrats voted against it: Warren Davidson of Ohio, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, and California independent Kevin Kiley, who typically aligns with the GOP.
The resolution authorizes creation of a reconciliation bill, a legislative vehicle that bypasses the typical Senate filibuster and requires only a simple majority to pass. House Speaker Mike Johnson described the effort as demonstrating that Republicans "support our troops, our farmers and election integrity."
The Pentagon's appetite for Iran-related spending is substantial. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators this week that military operations have cost $37.5 billion so far. The Trump administration requested roughly $88 billion in supplemental funding, with up to $67.1 billion directed toward the conflict.
The House resolution responds by authorizing $60 billion in armed services spending and another $13 billion for intelligence operations, totaling $73 billion expected for military operations against Iran through fiscal 2036. The agriculture committee receives $12 billion to address damage farmers have suffered from the conflict and Trump's tariff policies against major trading partners.
The voting restrictions component poses a legal puzzle. The House administration committee gets $10 billion in spending authority to pursue the Save America Act, Trump's signature voting measure that would ban mail-in ballots nationwide and impose stricter voter identification requirements. But reconciliation rules strictly limit bills to spending, revenue, and debt ceiling changes, meaning the policy provisions will likely be stripped when the Senate considers the measure.
Johnson acknowledged the constraint Tuesday, saying the goal was to pass "as much of that as possible" into law. Democrats immediately condemned what they framed as reckless priorities. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Republicans "continue to act indifferent to the economic wellbeing of the American people" and argued they have resources for war but not for feeding the poor.
Senate Republican leaders show no immediate urgency. Majority Leader John Thune signaled he would hold the resolution in reserve in case government funding negotiations with Democrats collapse before the September 30 deadline. If talks stall, Thune said the Senate could repurpose the budget measure to pass a stopgap spending bill along party lines.
Even within the Senate GOP conference, skepticism lingers. Some Republicans object that the bill fails to reach the $1.5 trillion in defense spending the Trump administration requested for fiscal 2027. Others worry about the lack of spending offsets at a time when the federal debt continues climbing.
This marks the third time House Republicans have used reconciliation in Trump's second term to push party-line legislation. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act and a deportation-focused funding measure both traveled this path previously.
The House recesses at the end of this week, pushing the heavy lifting to the Senate when lawmakers return in September.
Author James Rodriguez: "Reconciliation bills are supposed to be about taxes and budgets, not reshaping elections, so this maneuver will likely fall apart in the Senate regardless of what Republicans want."
Comments