Trump backs House budget proposal, sidelining Senate plan

In Washington, on February 19, 2025, President Donald Trump publicly endorsed the House Republicans' budget proposal aimed at enacting his agenda. This endorsement came as the Senate was preparing to vote on its own budget plan, which raised concerns about the ability of the House to pass a single, comprehensive bill that Trump preferred. Senate Majority Leader John Thune confirmed that they would continue with the Senate proposal despite Trump's preference for the House plan. The House budget proposes significant spending reductions and tax cuts, addressing Trump's full agenda while the Senate's two-bill approach focuses only on parts of it. Trump's comments highlighted the tensions between the two chambers and the implications for their legislative strategies as they both aim to leverage budget reconciliation, which permits a simple majority vote in the Senate for the passage of certain legislation. These developments have raised questions over potential conflicts and the Republican Party's unity moving forward, especially since some moderates are wary of the implications of certain funding cuts, particularly those affecting Medicaid. The House GOP plans to bring the budget to a vote when lawmakers reconvene, with implications for Trump's immigration and military policies, and the potential of a more extensive legislative process still ahead as the two chambers grapple to reconcile their differing approaches.