House Speaker Mike Johnson is backing the Senate’s budget resolution as a crucial step toward delivering what President Donald Trump has called “one big beautiful bill”—a sweeping legislative package aimed at locking in tax cuts, securing the border, and restoring fiscal discipline.
In a message to House Republicans, Johnson urged members to adopt the Senate’s changes to the House budget resolution, emphasizing that the move would enable a unified reconciliation process aligned with the administration’s top priorities. “This is the path to enacting President Trump’s agenda,” Johnson said, while assuring colleagues that the House’s reconciliation instructions remain intact and unaffected by the Senate’s version.
The Senate narrowly passed its version of the budget resolution with a 51–48 vote. The framework includes major Trump administration goals: extending the 2017 tax cuts before they expire, raising the debt ceiling by $5 trillion, and boosting funding for border security and defense. However, it proposes only $4 billion in enforceable spending cuts—far less than the House’s original proposal, which called for over $2 trillion in reductions.
That gap has triggered pushback from fiscal conservatives. House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington criticized the Senate plan as “unserious and disappointing,” arguing that it adds far more than it subtracts. Representative Andy Harris echoed the concern, warning that Republicans must deliver actual deficit reduction if they want to remain credible with the American people.
Despite the criticism, Johnson is standing firm. He made clear that while the House won’t roll over for the Senate, adopting its version of the resolution is the best path forward to get a final bill that can pass both chambers—and ultimately reach the president’s desk.
The reconciliation bill that follows is expected to be the cornerstone of Trump’s economic agenda. It will likely feature a permanent extension of the Trump tax cuts, which have driven wage growth and investment, as well as significant defense funding increases and stricter immigration enforcement measures.
Johnson stressed that negotiations will continue and that spending cuts will remain a key part of the final package. “We will not accept a take-it-or-leave-it offer from the Senate,” he said. “We are committed to delivering a fiscally responsible, pro-growth bill that reflects conservative priorities and the will of the American people.”
With the budget battle heating up, the resolution now sets the stage for a larger legislative showdown—one that could define the economic future of the country. For Trump and Johnson, it’s about more than just numbers—it’s about delivering on promises, restoring economic strength, and putting America first.