How GOP extremists could hold Trump’s agenda hostage to force deep cuts

A handful of GOP Congress members are demanding that their party make deeper cuts to the social safety net, or else they will derail President Donald Trump's agenda.According to a report from Politico, Reps. Chip Roy of Texas and Ralph Norman of South Carolina threatened to vote against the budget blueprint needed to get the ball rolling on Trump's legislative agenda, unless it includes more cuts to Medicaid and food stamps.As Politico reported:The Energy and Commerce Committee would need to increase its planned $200 billion minimum in cuts, which almost assuredly will trigger tough conversations around Medicaid. The Agriculture Committee, which had outlined a minimum target of $50 billion in cuts during the final retreat meeting, would now need to cut $150 billion. That would mean deeper impacts on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that helps feed more than 40 million low-income Americans.Norman told Fox News that the budget blueprint’s $300 billion in proposed cuts is "laughable" and that he is “shocked it was that low.”“We’ve got a math problem. We’ve got to get a resolution we need which has a number which can get through committee and get through the floor," he said, suggesting that he would vote against the budget resolution. Norman added that he wants to see between $1 trillion and $5 trillion in cuts—an absurd number as the entire federal budget is $7 trillion, with the majority of that going to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, defense spending, and interest on the national debt. While additional cuts would appease Norman, Roy, and other hard-line Republicans, they could lose the support of other GOP lawmakers in competitive districts, who would be wary of backing cutbacks that would significantly upset their constituents. It’s the catch-22 for Speaker Mike Johnson, whose paltry House majority will make passing anything a challenge. Republicans will have just 217 seats for the next few months, after Trump poached two GOP lawmakers for his administration and Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida declined to take his seat after his nomination for attorney general went up in flames. Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York is expected to resign once she is confirmed as Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations.Such a narrow majority means that Johnson can’t afford to lose a single vote, which would result in a 216-216 tie. The fact that Republicans are still squabbling to get past even the first step of budget reconciliation, which the GOP wants to use because it doesn’t require any Democratic votes, is a terrible sign for their ability to pass Trump's agenda.House Republicans already left a retreat last week—which was meant to get the party on the same page on how to pass Trump’s agenda—without an agreement on how to move forward with tax cuts for the rich and Trump's anti-immigrant crackdown."After two days at our House Republican winter retreat, we still do not have a plan on budget reconciliation and our Speaker and his team have not offered one. Not even if we are in a one bill or two bill framework, even though President Trump (who prefers one big beautiful bill) literally told us here at the start of our conference that he now does not care if it’s one or two," Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, wrote on X.With such a feckless and incompetent group of Republicans in Congress, Trump’s legislative agenda might already be dead.Thank you to the Daily Kos community who continues to fight so hard with Daily Kos. Your reader support means everything. We will continue to have you covered and keep you informed, so please donate just $3 to help support the work we do.

A handful of GOP Congress members are demanding that their party make deeper cuts to the social safety net, or else they will derail President Donald Trump's agenda. According to a report from Politico, Reps. Chip Roy of Texas and Ralph Norman of South Carolina threatened to vote against the budget blueprint needed to get the ball rolling on Trump's legislative agenda, unless it includes more cuts to Medicaid and food stamps.

As Politico reported: Norman told Fox News that the budget blueprint’s $300 billion in proposed cuts is "laughable" and that he is “shocked it was that low.” “We’ve got a math problem. We’ve got to get a resolution we need which has a number which can get through committee and get through the floor," he said, suggesting that he would vote against the budget resolution.

Norman added that he wants to see between $1 trillion and $5 trillion in cuts—an absurd number as the entire federal budget is $7 trillion, with the majority of that going to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, defense spending, and interest on the national debt. While additional cuts would appease Norman, Roy, and other hard-line Republicans, they could lose the support of other GOP lawmakers in competitive districts, who would be wary of backing cutbacks that would significantly upset their constituents. It’s the catch-22 for Speaker Mike Johnson, whose paltry House majority will make passing anything a challenge.

Republicans will have just 217 seats for the next few months, after Trump poached two GOP lawmakers for his administration and Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida declined to take his seat after his nomination for attorney general went up in flames . Rep.

Elise Stefanik of New York is expected to resign once she is confirmed as Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations. Such a narrow majority means that Johnson can’t afford to lose a single vote, which would result in a 216-216 tie. The fact that Republicans are still squabbling to get past even the first step of budget reconciliation , which the GOP wants to use because it doesn’t require any Democratic votes, is a terrible sign for their ability to pass Trump's agenda.

House Republicans already left a retreat last week—which was meant to get the party on the same page on how to pass Trump’s agenda—without an agreement on how to move forward with tax cuts for the rich and Trump's anti-immigrant crackdown. "After two days at our House Republican winter retreat, we still do not have a plan on budget reconciliation and our Speaker and his team have not offered one. Not even if we are in a one bill or two bill framework, even though President Trump (who prefers one big beautiful bill) literally told us here at the start of our conference that he now does not care if it’s one or two," Rep.

Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, wrote on X . With such a feckless and incompetent group of Republicans in Congress, Trump’s legislative agenda might already be dead. Thank you to the Daily Kos community who continues to fight so hard with Daily Kos.

Your reader support means everything. We will continue to have you covered and keep you informed, so please donate just $3 to help support the work we do..