Washington

Why the GOP’s Reconciliation Fight Matters

Whether Congress passes Trump’s agenda through one bill or two could set the tone for the next four years.

Jan 10, 2025

Why the GOP’s Reconciliation Fight Matters

What’s happening: The Republican Party is going to use reconciliation to pass President-elect Donald Trump’s major policy initiatives, including border security, tax cuts, and energy creation. The problem is, no one knows just how they are going to go about it.

Catch up: Reconciliation is a legislative process that allows certain budget-related bills to be passed with a simple majority vote in both the House and Senate, bypassing the Senate filibuster and limiting debate.

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Patricia Kelly1 year ago

I am thankful every day that the American people were smart enough to elect Trump and give our country a chance to return to our core constitutional values. One of Trump's biggest flaws is his attitude on the national debt. It is imperative that, out of respect for American taxpayers if for no other reason, the federal government behave in a fiscally responsible manner. The current debt level weakens us and weakens our position in the world. Trump, as a real estate developer, has always used debt to create successful projects and make money and he thinks the prosperity his policies generate will enrich us enough to allow debt reduction. Maybe it will and the DOGE program can be a great help, but fiscal responsibility is an essential duty of government, whether we have prosperity or not.

Paul Bohac1 year ago

The "debt ceiling" appears to be a meaningless artifact, having little to no effect on the rate of actual Congressional spending. Consequently, arguments for or against seem to be more about the "politics" rather than fiscal responsibility. At this point, the bigger issues, in my opinion, are the ongoing illegal immigration invasion, the stress on communities from the presence of illegal immigrants, the decline of American manufacturing and production with the corresponding impact on employment opportunities, the ongoing struggle to contain/control inflation, the need to find a way to reduce the size of both the federal government and the federal debt as well as the need to counteract the influence of China's economic pressure throughout the world.

Rich Henke1 year ago

If the Republicans fail to unite behind Trump, there will likely not be another opportunity. We have both houses of congress and the White House. Infighting will only open the door to a Democrat comeback and a return to the chaos and lawlessness of the last 4 years. Republicans need to unite and move quickly to reverse the trend, then work toward the long term solutions.

Janet Null1 year ago

John Thune is worrisome. He has some good old boy ideas. I was sorry to see him get Senate Majority aand have been hoping I was wrong but yet(!) here he is on the wrong side. I like Rand Paul but I agree we need a big bill with what we need right away or it will get stagnated as the $$$ fills their pockets and/or their ego.

Tiffany G1 year ago

A “big beautiful bill” means a giant omnibus with random earmarks. Why is it so hard to cut spending? Just do it. The fed govt spends way too much so just lower how much you spend. So frustrating!

Monty Mickle1 year ago

I agree with president Trump precisely for the debt ceiling issue raised by Senator Rand Paul. We must secure our border and national security while not breaking the bank. If the country goes bankrupt, nothing else will be attainable