WASHINGTON — Key House committees advanced their portions of a sweeping package for President Donald Trump’s agenda on party-line votes Wednesday following marathon meetings.
The tax-writing Ways and Means Committee advanced its bill, which would permanently extend Trump's 2017 cuts, Wednesday morning after a session that clocked in at more than 17 hours.
Later Wednesday, the Energy and Commerce Committee passed its legislation, which includes steep Medicaid cuts, after meeting for more than 26 hours.
And the House Agriculture Committee approved its part of the broader package that included a $290 billion cut to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Wednesday evening. The panel began its markup around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday before breaking around midnight and reconvening Wednesday morning.
The three committees did not make substantive changes to the original plans offered by their chairs.
The committee votes mark a major milestone in the long-winding process known as reconciliation — a fast-track budget process that will allow Republicans who control the Senate to cut out Democrats and push through the bill with a simple majority rather than face the usual 60-vote threshold.
The House Budget Committee will now be tasked with assembling all of the various sections of the larger package into one bill for a floor vote. House Republicans are eyeing a vote on the final package before Memorial Day even as they have yet to reach consensus on several key issues.
Speaker Johnson, R-La., can afford only three GOP defections on the final bill given the party's narrow House majority and the expectation of unanimous Democratic opposition.
Overall, the legislation is projected by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office to save $715 billion and lead to 8.6 million fewer people with health care coverage. That has caused tension between politically vulnerable Republicans, who say they oppose any benefit cuts, and hard-liners who want more aggressive structural changes to lower long-term Medicaid spending.
The Energy and Commerce hearing got off to a rambunctious start Tuesday, as protestors briefly interrupted by repeatedly chanting, “No cuts to Medicaid!” Capitol Police escorted the protesters, some in motorized wheelchairs, out of the room and later said 25 people were arrested for “illegally demonstrating.”
Later, Democratic Sens. Tina Smith of Minnesota, Brian Schatz of Hawaii, and Cory Booker of New Jersey walked across the Capitol to the markup, delivering letters from constituents about the negative impacts of the Medicaid cuts in the House proposal.
Inside the hearing, House Democrats focused on the Medicaid cuts and changes in the Energy and Commerce Committee's bill, which include tougher work requirements and stricter eligibility screenings to access the program's benefits. One by one, they held up photographs of people who they said could lose Medicaid under the GOP plan.
Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., introduced the committee to George, a six year old with Down syndrome, whose family traveled to the markup from Michigan. Dingell read a letter from George’s mom saying that it’s “a huge fear that we lose Medicaid, because it’s necessary for our family’s lives.”
But Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, quickly interjected.
“I am sorry that people have lied to you,” Crenshaw said. "George, I want to tell you, you have nothing to worry about. Your Medicaid is not going anywhere.”
The Ways and Means Committee's legislation extends the 2017 Trump tax cuts and includes a variety of tax breaks for businesses.
It also incorporates some of Trump’s other campaign promises, including eliminating federal taxes on tips and overtime, and a tax break for auto-loan interest payments — all through 2028.
In addition, the plan calls for temporarily increasing the child tax credit to $2,500 and boosting tax deductions for seniors through 2028. And it establishes “MAGA accounts,” new savings accounts for newborns.
"The American people that this bill was crafted for may not have an army of D.C. lobbyists to defend them but they do have us, and they do have President Trump," Smith told reporters before the Ways and Means Committee markup.
"Failure is not an option through this process," he added. "America First is what President Trump promised, and that's what this committee will deliver in the one big, beautiful bill."
The bill hikes the SALT cap to $30,000, up from the current $10,000 cap that Republicans imposed in the 2017 Trump tax law. But some Republicans from high-tax blue states are rejecting that policy and threatening to vote down the bill unless the figure is raised.
Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., a SALT Caucus member, said he is a "hell no" on the package based on the $30,000 figure. And Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., a potential candidate for governor, said there is "zero chance" he'll vote yes without a higher SALT cap.
