Speaker Johnson sees ‘no daylight’ between Trump, House GOP

House Speaker Mike Johnson contends “no daylight” exists between House Republicans and the incoming Trump administration.

After spending the weekend with President-elect Donald Trump, Mr. Johnson, Louisiana Republican, touted the GOP’s plan to aggressively pursue Mr. Trump’s policy goals in the upcoming Congress. 

So far, the agenda includes a heavy emphasis on making sure Mr. Trump’s tax cuts from 2017 don’t expire next year. After meeting at Florida’s Mar-a-Lago and a stop at New York’s Madison Square Garden to catch a UFC fight Saturday night, Mr. Johnson said everyone is on the same page. 

“I met with President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance and their senior policy leaders,” Mr. Johnson said during the House GOP’s press conference on Tuesday. “And there’s no daylight between their agenda, what they envision and what we envision for the House.”

House Republicans met that day behind closed doors to discuss the legislative plan and in particular the pieces that the GOP would put forward in a reconciliation package. 

Part of the GOP’s strategy with a Trump-dominated agenda centers on budget reconciliation, a legislative maneuver that lets lawmakers move tax policies and spending, for example, by circumventing the Senate’s 60-vote threshold and filibuster to an easier 51 votes. 

“We’re working all that out together in a bicameral fashion, with Senate Republicans, House Republicans working together, and, of course, coordinating with the new Trump administration,” Mr. Johnson said.

First, Congress must consider President Biden’s $98 billion disaster aid request and decide whether to fund the government by Dec. 20 or punt this year’s spending fight into Mr. Trump’s first 100 days. 

The speaker has said that refilling the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s dwindling disaster aid accounts following Hurricanes Helene and Milton would be a top priority for the House when lawmakers returned, but a vote on the aid package will likely not be teed up in the lower chamber this week. 

On government spending, Mr. Johnson floated a short-term government funding patch as the deadline looms, but hasn’t committed to one yet. Most appropriators — the lawmakers responsible for drafting the 12 measures that fund the government — argue that enough time exists to pass the remaining spending bills, but they need an overall funding number to work with. 

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, who chairs the State and Foreign Operations spending subcommittee, told reporters that the Republican-led House and Democratic-led Senate are about $200 billion apart on an overall spending number. 

He said that if Congress has to again turn to a continuing resolution to fund the government, a deal needs to be made soon.

“My suggestion would be to do it as quick, as soon as possible,” Mr. Diaz-Balart, Florida Republican, said. “I don’t think it’s in anybody’s best interest to start with a new president, new Congress still fighting last year’s battles.”