Trump tanks Sen. Lindsey Graham’s budget bill, endorses House proposal

• President Trump endorsed the House version of a package that will pay for key parts of his agenda. In the endorsement, he tanked Sen. Lindsey Graham’s budget proposal.
• Trump needs the bill to pay for his immigration, military and tax policy priorities.
• The House will vote on the budget package next week.

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President Donald Trump tanked Sen. Lindsey Graham’s, R-S.C., budget proposal Wednesday, Feb. 19, as he weighed in on inter-party negotiations that could make or break his agenda. Trump wrote on Truth Social that he wants Republicans to pass “ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL” to pay for his immigration, military and tax policy priorities. 

The Senate was moving forward with two bills—one would provide $175 billion for border security and $150 billion for the military, and the other to extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts. President Trump is now endorsing the House GOP plan to do it all together. 

“The House and Senate are doing a SPECTACULAR job of working together as one unified, and unbeatable, TEAM, however, unlike the Lindsey Graham version of the very important Legislation currently being discussed, the House Resolution implements my FULL America First Agenda,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. 

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said it’s not a competition, and he does not care if it’s one or two bills. He also said it would be easier to get the bill approved if the House leads the way. 

“On my side of the aisle over there, there are quite a few of what I call ‘free range chickens.’ I say that gently and with great affection. They’re very independent thinkers,” Kennedy said. “They wander off, and the speaker’s got to go try to catch them, and they’re hard to catch. And I think to catch all of them, he’s going to need President Trump’s help.”

“The biggest concern is that we were told that they need more money for border –– for detention and for the border wall,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said. “And we stand ready to provide that if we can figure out the best way to get that to them.”

Republicans are using the budget reconciliation process to pay for the president’s agenda. This allows them to change spending packages already signed into law with only a simple majority vote in both chambers. 

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In this case, the reconciliation package would add money to the border and military while instructing committees to find offsetting cuts in other areas. 

“I’m hoping that the Republicans will get their act together because we’re going to be spending a lot of time on the Senate version, and I think it probably represents the best –– or better than the House version,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said he will bring their budget resolution up for a vote next week. Based on the current balance of power, Republicans can only lose one vote for the measure to pass.