[Republicans from Capitol Hill to the White House are battling internally over the basic tenets of Donald Trump’s first 100-day agenda. The GOP will operate with one of the smallest congressional majorities in history and must contend with major deadlines like averting a government shutdown as early as March and a potentially catastrophic debt default next year.
House and Senate GOP leaders realize they have little time to use the political capital Trump is eager to expend from his election victory. Senior House members are warning that waiting on a tax issue could mean killing it altogether, while some conservative Republicans are pushing to toss Trump’s priorities into one catchall bill.
John Thune, the incoming Senate majority leader, is preparing to move quickly on border security and energy production while punting on a tax bill until later in the year. However, doing so has caused deep anger among some senior House members.
The GOP will consider passing the bill using the budget process, known on Capitol Hill as reconciliation. However, approving each reconciliation bill requires two steps and a marathon series of votes, and the legislation must pass muster with strict budget rules in the Senate.
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