Speaker Mike Johnson is gearing up for a major move in the House, aiming to push through a huge bill that tackles many of President-elect Donald Trump’s top priorities. The plan is to get it voted on by April — a pretty tight timeline for a House that’s deeply divided.
In a chat on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, Johnson shared that Republicans will use a special process called “reconciliation,” which only needs a simple majority of 51 votes in the Senate. This means they can pass the bill without needing any support from the Democrats.
Trump’s excitement was clear when he posted on Truth Social and X, saying lawmakers are already working on “one powerful bill” to cover a lot of his legislative goals. He urged Republicans to “unite” and push through his priorities as soon as possible.
So, what’s in this mega-bill? Johnson explained that it would tackle things like border security (including funds for deporting undocumented immigrants), an extension of the 2017 Trump tax cuts, raising or getting rid of the federal debt ceiling, cutting down on federal regulations, and even “dismantling the deep state.” Trump also mentioned his idea of no tax on tips as part of the plan.
The reasoning behind making this bill all-inclusive? Johnson says it means Republicans won’t need to negotiate with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. Johnson’s goal is to have this bill ready for Trump to sign by the end of April or early May.
However, there’s been some tension around whether such a large, all-encompassing bill is the right approach. Trump nearly caused a major hiccup in December when he almost blocked a spending bill for not raising the debt ceiling. Johnson, defying Trump, managed to pass it without that, causing some frustration among his colleagues. But now, he’s signaling that tackling this issue will be a priority for the incoming House.
Republicans are split on how to approach all of Trump’s goals. Should they jam them all into one bill, or spread them across several smaller ones? With the 2026 midterm elections looming, time is running out to make major changes.
Johnson is confident that while not everyone will be happy with every part of the bill, there will be enough important measures to win support. He believes it’ll be a mix of key items that will unite the party, even if some members don’t get everything they want.
On the flip side, GOP Senator Lindsey Graham, appearing on the same program, expressed concerns. He’s not a fan of cramming too many issues into one bill and insists border security should be the number one priority.
“I’ll try to be a team player,” Graham said, “but the American people need to know that Trump’s border plan is the first job we need to tackle.” He also made it clear that he’s not on board for cutting taxes until border security is fully addressed.
Graham’s comments reflect a shared worry among Republicans that a one-bill strategy might be too much to handle in the tight timeline. Republican Senator Ron Johnson (no relation) added that he prefers a more two-step approach, focusing first on securing the border and then tackling other issues like tax cuts.
Trump’s 2017 tax cuts are set to expire this year unless Congress takes action — so there’s a sense of urgency around getting something passed.
It looks like this legislation could shape up to be one of the most talked-about topics in the coming months. Will the Republicans unite behind this big plan, or will they splinter under the pressure of a ticking clock? Time will tell!
