President Donald Trump isn’t yet whipping the “big beautiful bill” even as fellow Republicans struggle to find consensus, a White House official said Monday morning.
The bill, which includes tax cuts, border security and other key GOP priorities, represents Trump’s most significant opportunity to build a legislative legacy for a second term that has been dominated by executive actions.
The official, who was granted anonymity to discuss behind-the-scenes dynamics, said that Trump’s involvement right now is limited to staying in close touch with Speaker Mike Johnson and being briefed by legislative director James Braid and political director James Blair. But he wouldn’t start whipping votes until Braid’s office thinks he needs to, the official said.
“The White House is in constant touch with the speaker's team. The president is in constant touch with the speaker, and when they feel the president needs to make calls to members, those lists are drafted for him and he's always willing to do it, but we haven't gotten to that point yet,” the official said.
Trump, in a late-night post on Truth Social, lauded Republicans for advancing the legislation after urging conservatives to get in line on Friday.
"We don't need 'GRANDSTANDERS' in the Republican Party. STOP TALKING, AND GET IT DONE!” Trump posted.
House GOP leaders promised hardline conservatives on Sunday that the bill would change before it hits the House floor, a promise made to get the bill out of committee. As of early Monday afternoon, Republicans were already making some tweaks to the bill.
Trump is not weighing in on or putting pressure either way on whether to decrease the percentage contribution the federal government gives to Medicaid, as some conservatives have suggested, nor is he weighing in on the debate over a key tax deduction sought by blue-state Republicans, instead leaving it “to members to negotiate amongst themselves.”
“We expect them to come to a mutually agreeable solution to move the bill forward,” the official said, adding that the president supports the current language in the bill.
While GOP fiscal hawks on Sunday allowed the legislative package to advance toward a floor vote, they’re still threatening to oppose it without further spending cuts and the inclusion of other conservative policy priorities. That could include further changes to Medicaid and eliminating green-energy tax credits enacted during the Biden administration.
Four conservatives — Reps. Chip Roy of Texas, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma and Andrew Clyde of Georgia — voted “present” in the Sunday night vote, which allowed the package to move forward despite their reservations.
“The bill does not yet meet the moment,” Roy posted on X Sunday night. “We can and must do better before we pass the final product.”
The legislation must now clear the House Rules Committee, which is expected to meet at 1 a.m. on Wednesday, before advancing to a floor vote. Both Roy and Norman sit on the Rules Committee, where amendments to the legislation can be offered.
Johnson has remained committed to his goal of passing the legislation before members leave for the long Memorial Day weekend.
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