House Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, emerged from a five-hour closed-door meeting with President Donald Trump on Thursday without reaching a final agreement on the budget blueprint, a crucial step in advancing Trump’s agenda. Despite the prolonged discussions, which even led to the cancellation of a scheduled meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Republicans left feeling progress had been made, though key issues remained unresolved.
The meeting focused on smoothing over internal GOP differences regarding spending levels, tax policies, and potential cuts. Republicans, divided on how to move forward, have been grappling with these contentious issues for weeks. While no agreement was reached, House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington expressed optimism, saying that the group was closer to setting a floor for spending cuts, a key point of contention. However, Arrington clarified that the discussions were ongoing, with no final resolution yet.
President Trump participated in the meeting for a substantial portion of the time, offering guidance and promoting compromise but ultimately leaving lawmakers to work out the finer details. The meeting also allowed members of Congress to hash out a framework for moving forward, with Speaker Johnson emphasizing that the House would continue to meet later that night to finalize the remaining details, aiming for a budget resolution by early next week.
The Senate, meanwhile, is preparing to mark up its own budget resolution, which could create a divergence between the two chambers. Johnson urged Senate Republicans to allow the House to lead, while noting that progress was being made and praising Trump for his steady leadership in helping facilitate discussions.
Though no resolution has been reached on key budget issues, including tax cuts and a potential debt ceiling increase, Republicans are still hopeful that a finalized budget blueprint will be ready to move forward soon. As the debate continues, all eyes will remain on the evolving negotiations.
