Description
Members of the House Rules Committee convened in the early hours of Wednesday morning to consider sweeping legislation that President Donald Trump is dubbing a "big, beautiful" bill.
The markup of the wide-ranging bill continued into the morning.
The spending bill is popular among most Republicans, but a handful of members within the caucus have expressed concerns about its provisions. One of the most contentious parts of the bill involves changes to Medicaid. The proposal includes adding work requirements for older adults and some parents, though not all Republicans support these changes.
The legislation would also extend tax cuts enacted by Congress during President Trump's first term, which are set to expire later this year.
Given the size and scope of the legislation, Democrats criticized the timing of Wednesday's hearing.
"If Republicans are so proud of what is in this bill, then why are you trying to ram it through in the dead of night?" said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass. "If you guys really think these are such great, awesome, beautiful things to do, like Trump keeps saying, then why not hold this hearing at 1 p.m. and not 1 a.m.?"
House Rules Committee Chair Virginia Foxx, R-N.Y., responded to Democrats' concerns by claiming they live in "glass houses."
"In the 110th Congress, Democrats held a meeting beginning at precisely the same time," she said.
RELATED STORY | Trump visits Capitol Hill to rally Republicans, urges support for Medicaid
House Speaker Mike Johnson has stated his goal is to get the bill passed by the full House by Memorial Day. The bill would then go to the Senate, where changes to the legislation are likely.
On Tuesday, President Trump met with Republicans, trying to win over enough support to pass the bill in the House. With Republicans holding a seven-seat advantage and Democrats unified in their opposition, Trump requires near-universal support from the GOP.
President Trump described the meeting as a "meeting of love."
"I think we have unbelievable unity. I think we're gonna get everything we want, and I think we're gonna have a great victory, and this man (Johnson) has done a great job," President Trump said.
RELATED STORY | Trump's big bill advances in rare weekend vote, but conservatives demand more changes
News Source : https://www.kbzk.com/politics/congress/republicans-push-forward-with-contentious-spending-bill-in-pre-dawn-session
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