House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told Newsmax on Tuesday that the reconciliation process could be used to pass important budget and tax legislation in the next Congress under President-elect Donald Trump.
Budget reconciliation is an expedited process for considering bills that would implement policies embodied in a Congressional budget resolution.
The process plays a more significant role in the Senate because reconciliation bills aren't subject to filibuster and can pass with a simple majority.
"We have been talking for almost a year about the use of the budget reconciliation as a method to achieving some of the desired ends," Johnson said from the Capitol steps while answering a question from Newsmax's Kilmeny Duchardt. "We have to fix everything."
Johnson added that he has told Trump that he could be "the most consequential president [of the modern era] because we quite literally have to fix almost every metric of public policy. Everything is a mess, everything."
"The budget reconciliation process is a very efficient means to solving a lot of that, everything related to the budget and spending and all the rest regulatory reform, so we have lots of very specific plans how to do that," he said, "and the details of that will come together in the coming weeks."
Budget reconciliation, though, is a limited power. Measures passed with this maneuver must be at least plausibly linked to revenues and spending.
Asked whether he had a favorite in the race between Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rick Scott, R-Fla., for the role of Senate GOP leader, Johnson said: "They're all my favorites."
During the media event, Johnson also said he does not expect Trump to tap into the chamber further to fill positions in the next administration, and he announced tentative plans for the president-elect to meet with House Republicans on Wednesday morning.
Reuters contributed to this story.
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
- Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
- Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE -- See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com