Republicans are aiming to pass large pieces of Trump’s agenda through a process known as reconciliation, which bypasses the Senate filibuster and thus doesn’t require Democratic votes.
But House Republicans’ razor-thin majority presents an intraparty challenge.
“The House is a very thoughtful body, but sometimes it can be dysfunctional. They have a lot of personalities over there that they’ve got to get together with a very small majority to agree to it,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), a staunch Trump ally who has strong relationships with both Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.).
Mullin cited conservative Rep. Chip Roy’s (R-Texas) call for putting higher corporate tax rates “on the table” to pay for extending Trump’s expiring tax cuts as a concern.
The Oklahoma senator warned that if Roy votes against a tax package that doesn’t increase corporate taxes, the Speaker “really can only lose one more” Republican vote.
“If you were to put a lot of stuff together, it would be very difficult for Chip Roy to vote against border security and energy,” he said, explaining Johnson’s desire to move border security and tax relief in the same bill.
Mullin warned there are also potential defections on tax legislation in the House GOP conference from “the New York guys that are very serious about SALT.”
New York Rep. Mike Lawler (R) introduced legislation Wednesday to lift what he called “the unfair cap” on SALT deductions for single filers and $200,000 for married couples.
“This is a top priority for the Hudson Valley, and I’m committed to getting this done in the 119th Congress,” he declared.
The Speaker is hoping to increase his leverage over GOP colleagues on the tax package by attaching it to Trump’s broader legislative agenda, which would be difficult for any Republican House member to reject in total.
The Hill’s Alexander Bolton and Al Weaver have more here.
