House, Senate GOP at Odds on Getting Trump Priorities Through, While Dems Fret Over Leadership

The Republican-controlled House and Senate are increasingly at odds over how to pass a budget and advance President Trump’s agenda, which includes tax cuts and border security. 

With the threat of a government shutdown in the rear view mirror, Republicans in both chambers say they’re committed to getting the president’s agenda through Congress. What they disagree on is how to do it.

In the House, Republicans insist on passing everything in “one big, beautiful bill,” an approach favored by President Trump. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and other House GOP leaders urged the Senate to get going, believing the House can pass the legislation by Memorial Day.  

“We took the first step to accomplish that by passing a budget resolution weeks ago, and we look forward to the Senate joining us in this commitment to ensure we enact President Trump’s full agenda as quickly as possible,” said House Republican Leadership in a statement. 

The House bill contains at least $1.5 trillion in spending cuts over a decade. It also raises the debt ceiling and has target levels of taxes. 

The Senate meanwhile, passed a two-part budget blueprint. One part contained border security, defense, and energy, while a second bill contained everything else. 

The House pressure is not sitting well with Senate Republicans. Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) says we’re looking at July at the earliest.

“(Senator) Thune said he thought that the House’s timeline on this was totally unrealistic and that the House doesn’t have their ducks in a row, and their budget resolution has to be completely reworked, and this idea that we do it by April or May is just ridiculous,” said an anonymous Republican Senator to The Hill. 

Democrats in Disarray

Senate Democrats meanwhile remain in limbo as Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says he won’t resign as Democratic leader. 

Senate Schumer has been peppered with calls for his resignation by activists and some members after he decided to support keeping the government open, saying it was the best way to prevent handing more power over to President Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

“Sometimes when you’re a leader, you have to do things to avoid a real danger that might come down the curve. And I did it out of pure conviction as to what a leader should do and what the right thing for America and my party was. People disagree,” said Senator Schumer on NBC’s Meet the Press. 

But others on the left, including Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), say the problems with Senator Schumer are indicative of broader problems within the Democratic party. 

It’s a "a Democratic party ... dominated by billionaires" out of touch with everyday Americans, noted Senator Sanders.