The House is in chaos, but Republicans insist they have a plan. GOP leaders are insisting they’ll be able to push forward with President Donald Trump‘s weighty legislative agenda over the next 10 days, even as fresh turmoil threatens Speaker Mike Johnson‘s recent hot streak in wrangling the House GOP.
First, the chaos: Johnson sent the House home Tuesday afternoon after nine Republicans helped tank a procedural vote designed to kill a proposal by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) that would have allowed proxy voting for new parents. The Republicans included a cross-section of the GOP conference, with Reps. Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Kevin Kiley of California, Nick LaLota of New York, Mike Lawler of New York, Ryan Mackenzie of Pennsylvania, Max Miller of Ohio, Greg Steube of Florida and Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey joining Luna.
The big takeaway: Johnson went to the mattresses on a niche issue, and he is now paying the price. His windmill tilt against proxy voting appeared to have been motivated by a combination of his own personal feelings on the issue and pressure from his right flank. But it’s a reminder of how tenuous Johnson’s grip on his conference is, especially when Trump isn’t invested in an outcome. With House conservatives having opened the door to voting against procedural moves with impunity, more “normie” members are happy to stroll on through themselves.
Now, the plan: Johnson suggested the decision to cancel this week’s votes would have no bearing on his goal of getting a budget resolution finalized before a two-week recess starts at the end of next week, Meredith Lee Hill reports. “The plan is to move as quickly as possible,” he said in a brief interview Tuesday. Expect next steps to get laid out in this afternoon’s “Big Six” meeting of top Capitol Hill and White House tax policy negotiators.
And the catch: The Senate has to move first on the budget blueprint, and there are still significant hold-ups, Jordain Carney and Katherine Tully-McManus report. Top Senate leaders are projecting confidence, though, and the vibes are trending toward a final resolution this week.
“We just keep having the same conversation,” Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said. “But I do think, you know, there’s 50 people at least willing to move forward on this portion of it.”
WHAT’S STILL COMING TODAY: On Capitol Hill, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is meeting with GOP tax negotiators. Earlier in the day, Bessent appeared at a meet-and-greet with rank-and-file House Republicans, where he spoke about tariffs and “the overall tax bill” Republicans are preparing, according to Rep. Gary Palmer.
In the Senate, Sen. Cory Booker is less than three hours away from breaking the late Sen. Strom Thurmond‘s record for the longest-ever floor speech.
Polls in Florida’s special elections to replace former Reps. Mike Waltz and Matt Gaetz close at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., respectively. Polls in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race close at 9 p.m.
ICYMI:
Cassidy presses RFK Jr. on HHS changes — Senate HELP Chair Bill Cassidy and ranking member Bernie Sanders invited HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to testify before the panel, after HHS fired 10,000 of the department’s 80,000 workers late Monday
Booker staffer arrested — The Capitol Police said Kevin Batts, a staffer for Booker, was arrested for allegedly carrying a pistol without a license. A Booker spokesperson said the senator’s office employees a retired Newark police detective as a driver and was working to better understand what happened.
Caine’s denial — Retired Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine, the nominee for Joint Chiefs chair, on contradicted Trump’s claim that he wore a MAGA hat when they met in Iraq.
