WASHINGTON — House Republicans were set to consider a vote on a $95 billion budget reconciliation package and the National Defense Authorization Act this week, but internal GOP divisions over spending cuts and President Donald Trump's push to attach new election integrity measures to must-pass legislation threatened to delay both votes until after the August recess.
Lawmakers were tentatively scheduled Tuesday afternoon for a procedural rule vote that would have tied together three major spending bills, setting parameters for debate and passage. Failure of that vote would have killed the week's legislative agenda before it began.
The budget reconciliation package, unveiled last week, covers defense spending and election integrity initiatives. It does not include spending cuts to offset its $95 billion price tag — a point of contention for fiscal conservatives in the Republican caucus.
Trump is pushing to attach portions of his SAVE America Act, which includes proof-of-citizenship and voter ID requirements, to some of the proposed legislation. That demand has complicated the House's effort to pass bills along party lines.
Even as the larger spending bills faced potential delay, the House was expected to vote on a continuing resolution as early as Tuesday evening. The measure would extend current federal spending levels through early December, deferring the annual appropriations process until after the midterm elections.
The continuing resolution is considered largely free of unrelated policy provisions, including the SAVE America Act. That structure could draw Democratic support, allowing it to pass without a partisan standoff.
The NDAA, the annual bill outlining the Pentagon's budget, typically passes with broad bipartisan support. But Republican leaders' plan to attach the SAVE America Act to the NDAA before sending it to the Senate has clouded its path forward.
Senate Republicans, including Budget Committee Chairman Ron Johnson, have expressed skepticism about passing the SAVE America Act. The measure would require 60 votes in the Senate — a threshold unlikely to be reached given Democratic opposition and resistance from some Republicans.
Both chambers are preparing to leave Washington for the August recess. The House returns Aug. 31. Senators are scheduled to depart Aug. 7 and return after Labor Day.
The Senate is already drafting its own versions of the NDAA and a post-midterms continuing resolution, signaling a lengthy fight ahead for Republicans trying to deliver these bills to the president's desk.
