House budget panel rejects GOP megabill amid conservative opposition

POLITICO ^ | May 16 | By Jennifer Scholtes and Meredith Lee Hill

[RandFan]

The House Budget Committee voted against advancing the GOP’s party-line tax and spending package Friday thanks to ongoing opposition from hard-line conservatives.

The panel rejected the bill, 21-16, with five Republicans joining all Democrats in opposition. But now, the committee is set to reconvene and try again late Sunday night, as House GOP leaders plan to continue private talks through the weekend with the reluctant Republicans and the White House in hopes of staying on schedule to move on to floor debate next week.

The failed vote was an undeniable setback for Speaker Mike Johnson and other top Republicans who want the sprawling package advanced through the House by the time members are set to leave Washington for a week-long recess at the end of the month.

House Republicans fumed over the massive stumble Friday. Some GOP members questioned why House Budget Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) plowed ahead with the vote while the negotiations with hard-liners continued. In the end, the very public failed vote accomplished nothing but made everyone look bad: the hard-liners, the president and House GOP leadership, according to GOP members and senior Republican aides.

“What the f**k are we doing?” one House Republican remarked, granted anonymity to speak candidly.

[Sacajaweau]

https://www.majorityleader.gov/uploadedfiles/overview_-_2025_house_calendar_-_revised_april.pdf

[Sirius Lee]

Demoncraps circle the wagons. Republicans form a circular firing squad.

[trebb]

My assessment it that the Republicans who stopped it are of the “all or nothing” type and that’s the type that will take the Nation down by giving power to the Dems.

[Pete Dovgan]

Congress does not have the same concerns as the public.
Spending only helps them, it never hurts Congress, and year after year the deficit grows and more lobbyists arrive in DC. The entire time the currency is rendered useless, taxes increase, and the working people get poorer and poorer.

This is an example of Congress protecting the status quo, and a few Trump people that want balanced budget. We seem to be angry not at the democrats, but at those who want the eventual right thing. Those individuals want deeper cuts, which I agree with, but they will destroy all progress for nothing.

The way to fix this is actually simple. Balanced Budget Amendment, with a provision that all Congress people, current and past, lose all benefits, income, and retirement EXCEPT Medicaid and social security and unemployment, unless they pass a balanced

The way to win the midterms, and stop the madness is apparent. The public now sees the danger and extreme measures needed to stabilize the system after auto pen Joe and the Democrats. Trump voters should take the lead to save the nation and demand candidates for a balanced budget amendment. The Democrats will be destroyed at the polls in the midterms with this strategy, and it will begin the purge of the RINO’s. The public will be 80-20 for a balanced budget, and if you add term limits to it, maybe more. This is the hill to die on, IMHO, let the democrats defend prior spending and autopen Joe.

[flamberge]

What is your considered assessment?

You called it correctly.

We will drift now to perhaps inevitable midterm defeat unless something dramatic happens.

[flamberge]

The way to fix this is actually simple.

"While everything is simple, even the simplest thing is difficult." (Carl Von Clausewitz)

[Rlsau1]

First of all, nothing passed and signed into law by Joe Biden should be in any spending bill. Everything he did should be questioned and held in abeyance until his competency to actually sign anything is established. The plain and simple fact is nothing Washington does makes much sense, and the actions of Congress are almost always related to political self-preservation and personal benefit. There are absolutely no democrats and very few Republican members of Congress interested in doing what’s right for America and Americans.

[Bobbyvotes]

Republican politicians are normal people. They love to spend other people’s money, just like democrats. Who does not?

[AZJeep]

Exactly.
We need more cuts, and we need them NOW.
Cuts to Medicaid in 2029 - what an idiocy!
That gives Dems four years demagoguing campaign ammo!

I would vote against the bill too!

[imabadboy99]

They need to announce to the public they’re going to pass a balanced budget and then make the cuts to make it happen - it would be a huge winner with the public just like when Newt did it in the 90s. Cutting fraud and waste to balance the budget. The public would eat it up. But the dummy republican party can’t get anything right.

[AZJeep]

These deficits are NOT sustainable!
They are just kicking the bucket down the line.
Until we will be broke, like Greece, Argentina or Zimbabwe!
And that is during the time of relative prosperity.
As people here despise EU, they actually have a rule that any member state has to have deficit under 3% of GDP!
If we were in EU, we would be (rightfully) sanctioned for illegal deficits!
We need to cut trillion or two out of the budget instantly!
We must beat these deficits to stay alive!

[AZJeep]

The Democrats will oppose and demagogue anything coming out of Republican side.
Like they all voted out Kevin McCarthy.

They will be all supporting cancer, if Trump found how to treat it!

That’s why it is so stupid to be moderate on the budget.
They will oppose and demagogue it anyway! So at least do the right thing!

[tennmountainman]

Well, it’s clear that Johnson blended the knee to his RINOS
and put conservatives in this position.
Where are the spending cuts?
What was the purpose of DOGE if the GOP House and Senate won’t
Codify these found waste into law?

[joe fonebone]

WOW!!!
A big, beautiful bill...
Has anyone actually read it, or is this a “we gotta pass it to see what is in it” moment again???

[JesusIsLord]

It's a combination of lack of leadership from ALL sides (branches) in my opinion and just no guts to make the necessary cuts. What is your considered assessment?

The democrats are in lock-step against anything the President wants. The republican party in both chambers is made up of establishment, TDS and a few MAGA conservatives.

Can someone explain how 'leadership' can remedy the lack of republican cohesion? How does 'leadership' get establishment, TDS and MAGA republicans to support the President's agenda?

If anything is to get done in Congress, it will require COMPROMISE that makes republicans to vote in unison and in some instances also requires attracting democrat votes particularly in the Senate.

There is a Star Wars movie scene that shows the frustration that representative government can cause.

During a pivotal scene in the Senate chamber, Amidala pleads for immediate action against the Trade Federation's aggression. However, she faces skepticism from other senators who demand proof of her claims and propose forming a commission to investigate the situation. This bureaucratic delay frustrates Amidala, who insists that she was not elected to watch her people suffer while discussions drag on.

[Hartlyboy]

The Dems are opposing it because it’s their job to be obstructionist aholes but if they thought about it they vote yes because it’s another bloated ‘budget’ that they could impose on the country.

[Sacajaweau]

The Dems are opposing it because they are Democrats. They don't give a damn what's in it. It's a Republican Bill.

Don't tell me their constituents love the new washing machines and dish washers that don't wash....no gas stoves...etc etc...and the subsidies for EVs and anti-gas vehicle measures.

They vote Party...that's what they do.

[Pete Dovgan]

The people want it. The people need it. The Republic need it.

The elites, lobbyists, government unions FEAR it.

The chances of Congress sending and amendment to the people is zero unless all of the people vote to support only those candidates who will comply.

[Alvin Diogenes]

I'd have more confidence in the Republicans in Congress if they did something to support Trump: codifying at least some of the executive orders, cutting spending in line with DOGE, ....

[Lazamataz]

My assessment?

Trump will only be a four-year delay in the utter destruction of America.

But I’ll take even THAT.