Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is doing what he can to get President Donald Trump's budget plan over the finish line.
Thune and Senate Budget Committee Republicans met with Trump as the upper chamber prepares to vote on the resolution later this week, Punchbowl News reported.
Senate leadership is contemplating giving the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee each a $1.5 trillion for spending within their jurisdictions in the compromise budget, reflecting the $3.8 trillion cost of extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts, Punchbowl reported.
The GOP is aiming to offset the cost of any new tax cuts, while Senate Republicans are hoping to put off voting on the most complicated aspects of the budget reconciliation package as long as possible, Punchbowl reported.
Senate and House Republicans remain at odds over how much spending should be cut, with the sides hundreds of billions apart, Punchbowl reported. The two sides also are far apart on any reductions in Medicaid or other social safety net programs, according to Punchbowl.
Thune's goal is to get his Senate Republicans to embrace a basic budget resolution, so they can start on the lawmaking phase of what the majority leader said will be an "arduous" process, Punchbowl reported.
He wants the upper chamber to look like they are showing progress and delivering on Trump's promises, according to Punchbowl.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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