Trump prepares to step into messy fight over GOP tax bill
by Brett Samuels - 05/17/25 6:00 AM ET
President Trump is returning from a Middle East trip where he was feted by foreign leaders to find his legislative agenda on shaky ground on Capitol Hill.
Republican lawmakers are squabbling over the details of the massive reconciliation package that contains key pieces of Trump’s agenda on taxes, border funding and spending.
On Friday, four conservative lawmakers tanked a key committee vote, stalling the legislation and leaving a slew of the president’s campaign promises in limbo.
White House officials and Republicans signaled Trump is expected to ramp up his engagement with members this week, working the phones and getting more directly involved to try and get the party in line before disagreements sink the president’s “big, beautiful bill.” His involvement, some suggested, will be necessary given the fractious nature of the GOP conference.
“The president weighing in is always helpful here, and we’re trying to work with the administration to ensure that we pass his agenda as well as… to make good on the mandate the American people have given us in the election,” said Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.), who voted against advancing the reconciliation package on Friday on procedural grounds but said he supports the bill.
The president is in regular contact with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), and he and senior White House officials are expected to continue their outreach to lawmakers over the weekend and into next week.
The megabill encompassing Trump’s agenda, titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, would extend the tax cuts Trump signed in 2017 that are set to expire later this year, as well as deliver on campaign promises to eliminate taxes on tipped wages and overtime pay.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5304927-trump-agenda-shaky-congress/
