Senate Republicans are moving full steam ahead with their plans for a massive conservative policy overhaul through the budget reconciliation process, despite House GOP leaders still insisting their chamber is set to go first. 

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., unveiled a 61-page resolution that would fund President Donald Trump's priorities for border security, fossil fuel energy and national defense.

It would fund completion of Trump's border wall, as well as provide dollars for more beds in detention centers at the border. The bill would also include funds to hire more Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, hire more personnel patrolling the border and increase the number of immigration judges in order to process the backlog of existing asylum cases.

On energy, the bill is aimed at ramping up offshore drilling leases and stopping the Biden administration's methane emissions fee.

SCOOP: KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN

The legislation would also fund increased military readiness, grow the U.S. Navy and build an "integrated air and missile defense to counter threats," according to a summary provided by Graham's office.

Graham also signaled the bill would be deficit-neutral, with his press release stating that its $342 billion in new spending will be offset by the same amount of money in savings.

Per the Senate's plan to split Trump's reconciliation priorities into two bills, it is expected that extensions to Trump's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act – as well as other key Trump proposals, such as eliminating taxes on tipped and overtime wages – will be in a second plan released at a later date.

Republicans plan to use their majorities in the House and Senate to pass a wide swath of Trump policy initiatives, from extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to funneling more cash to operations at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The budget reconciliation process makes that possible by lowering the threshold for Senate passage from 60 votes to a simple 51-seat majority. Because the House already operates on a simple majority threshold, it will allow Republicans to skirt Democratic opposition to pass their agenda – provided the measures included involve budgetary or other fiscal matters, as reconciliation rules call for.

The first step in reconciliation is advancing a resolution through the House and Senate budget committees, which will then give instructions to other committees of jurisdiction that will eventually form a final bill.

The Senate's plan differs significantly from the House's intended approach.

While both sides agree on what should be passed via reconciliation, House GOP leaders and Republicans on the Ways & Means Committee are concerned that the intense political maneuvering the process takes will mean they run out of time before passing a second bill with Trump's tax cuts at the end of this year.

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A Ways & Means Committee memo sent earlier this year projected the average American household could see taxes rise by over 20% if those provisions expire at the end of 2025.

Trump himself has repeatedly called for "one big, beautiful bill" but said he ultimately was not concerned about the packaging as long as all of his priorities were passed.

House Republicans had intended to move one bill through their budget panel this week, but the process was stalled as spending hawks pushed for deeper funding cuts than what GOP leaders initially proposed.

Conservatives have insisted that any plan Republicans pass must be deficit-reducing or deficit-neutral.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters on Friday morning that he was playing "phone tag" with Graham due to their schedules but signaled he still intended for the House to move ahead with their plan next week.

"I sent him a text message early this morning and explained where we are in the process and how it's moving aggressively," Johnson said.

He told reporters he hoped for a House Budget Committee markup of the bill as early as Tuesday. 

Graham, meanwhile, intends to advance his bill through committee on Wednesday and Thursday.

Senate Republicans are meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday night.

Fox News' Daniel Scully contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: The Senate will look to beat House Republicans to the punch next week on plans to enact President Donald Trump's agenda via the budget reconciliation process.

Ahead of a weekly lunch meeting hosted by Senate Steering Committee Chairman Rick Scott, R-Fla., a plan was unveiled by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to push for a committee vote next week on a first bill, with plans for an additional reconciliation bill later in the year, a Senate Republican source told Fox News Digital. 

The first bill would include Trump's priorities for border security, fossil fuel energy and national defense. The second bill would focus on extending Trump's tax policies from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).

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Senior White House staffers were also present at the Wednesday lunch, the source said.

It comes amid some infighting within the House GOP about what level of spending cuts to seek in order to offset the costs of Trump's priorities. An expected vote this week to advance a resolution through the House Budget Committee is now likely poised for next week as well.

The first step in the reconciliation process is marking up and advancing a bill through the Senate and House budget committees.

House leaders had intended to make the first move in the process. The Senate passing their own bill first, however, would essentially force the lower chamber to contend with whatever product comes from the other side of Capitol Hill rather than start from a position of their own choosing.

It would also shift gears to a two-pronged reconciliation bill blueprint, something opposed by the House Ways & Means Committee and House GOP leaders.

Proponents of the one-bill approach are concerned about leaving Trump's tax cuts, which expire at the end of this year, on the back burner. House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., previously referenced the fact that Republicans have not passed two reconciliation bills in one year since the 1990s, when they had a much larger majority.

SCOOP: KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN

Trump has said he prefers "one big, beautiful bill," but would be open to two.

Graham has notably been liaising with the House Freedom Caucus leaders on the subject all week, two sources told Fox News Digital. The caucus has preferred a two-pronged approach, in line with many Senate Republicans. 

By lowering the threshold for Senate passage from 60 votes to 51 out of 100, reconciliation allows the party in power to skirt its opposition to advance its agenda – provided the items included relate to budgetary and other fiscal matters. The House of Representatives already has a simple majority threshold.

But with razor-thin margins in the House and Senate, Republicans can afford precious little dissent to still get their priorities over the finish line.

Spending hawks on the House Budget Committee had balked at multiple offers by GOP leaders on a "floor" for cutting back federal funding, calling for the baseline to be set at least at $2 trillion.

They're also seeking assurances that House GOP leaders have a firm plan in place for those cuts.

Multiple House Republicans leaving their Wednesday morning conference meeting signaled they were growing anxious about the Senate jamming them with their own reconciliation bill.

"I think there's a lot of frustration right now," one House GOP lawmaker said. "There’s some concern now that if we don’t move forward with something soon, that the Senate is going to jam us."

"What we’re worried about is losing the opportunity. I think we’re more likely to cut than they are," a second GOP lawmaker said.

Johnson brushed off concerns that the Senate will act first in comments to reporters earlier this week, maintaining the House will take the initial step.

The Trump administration released an order saying the Department of Transportation will prioritize grants to communities that cooperate with ICE.

The post Trump Rule Will Steer Transportation Dept. Funds to Non-Sanctuary Districts appeared first on Breitbart.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on Monday issued a memo with guidance for returning federal workers to work after President Donald Trump took executive action, ordering heads of departments and agencies to require employees to go back to work in person.

The post Trump Administration Issues Guidance for Federal Workers to Return to Work appeared first on Breitbart.

During a meeting on Wednesday of the Senate Committee on the Budget, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) told Office of Management and Budget Director Nominee Russell T. Vought that his America First Act would ban illegal immigrants from receiving welfare and other benefits.

The post Mike Lee: America First Act Bans Illegal Immigrants Welfare, Other Benefits appeared first on Breitbart.

President Trump wants a massive tax cut and immigration crackdown bill. Now Republicans must decide what to cut to help pay for it.

How to cut federal spending – and by how much – consumes Congressional Republicans right now.

Firestorms are scorching Southern California. But a political firestorm is about to singe Capitol Hill.

The natural disaster dynamic has morphed into a regular fiscal nightmare in Congress. And frankly, the way lawmakers address natural disasters creates a hyper obstacle to making a serious dent in the deficit and national debt.

Expect staggering costs.

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"This is going to be a very expensive event," forecast Rep. George Whitesides, D-Calif. 

FEMA is bracing for the price tag.

"We know this is going to be billions," said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.

President Biden is vowing help. 

"We’re going to pay for it. And we've got to be prepared to pay for it," said the president. "We're going to need the United States Congress to follow up with appropriations to help provide significant help for our fellow Americans who need this help." 

Catastrophic natural disasters now pummel different quarters of the U.S. at an alarming rate. Devastating wildfires swept across Maui in 2023. Tornado outbreaks are the norm. Blackouts from the heat – or blizzards coupled with bone-chilling cold – dim the power grid. The dual hurricanes of Milton and Helene spun through the south last year, chewing through property just days apart in the fall. Water spilled out of rivers, creeks, steams, brooks and culverts, submerging entire communities.

Congress coughed up $100 billion just before Christmas to help victims recover from the hurricanes. Some of that money went to help people restart their businesses or cover costs to rebuild. $27 billion of it went to reload FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) to prepare for future emergencies – like the one now incinerating the Golden State. Milton and Helene drained the DRF.

But Republicans now run Congress. President-elect Trump soon occupies the Oval Office. And when it comes to California – and what may have sparked the fires, Republicans could be reluctant to assist. That’s especially true as the mantra from Republicans is to slash $2 trillion in spending. In fact, there’s a fear among some Democrats that Congressional Republicans and President-elect Trump may try to penalize California – because it leans to the left.

Republicans now run the House and Senate. Mr. Trump takes office next week.

"When it comes to Congressional funding, the idea that we're going to have an open checkbook, no matter how bad your policies are, is crazy," said Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, on FOX Business.

TRUMP REPORTEDLY PLANS TO UNLEASH AROUND 100 EXECUTIVE ORDERS AFTER TAKING OFFICE

Democrats warned against partisan and region discord when natural disasters strike. 

"California has voted to support supplemental packages for hurricanes in the American South. And now this is our time of need," said Whitesides.

Several Northern California Republicans told Fox that Democrats from Southern California were exceptionally helpful muscling through aid for their part of the state after wildfires.

So what happens when the bill comes due for the Los Angeles wildfires?

"We help all Americans," said Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee which oversees FEMA.

Thompson was confident Congress would meet the needs of California.

"If we need to do more, we will," said Thompson. 

Some Republicans blamed the wildfires - and the response - on liberal Democrats who run much of California. 

"It is an epic disaster of mismanagement," said Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., on FOX Business. 

"What's happened in California is the fault of (California Gov.) Gavin Newsom (D) and the legislature there."

"What we can see is the failure of policy there and the failure of leadership in California," piled on Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., on Fox. "We’re going to have to have real accountability. We need to have hearings to understand… to get to the bottom of what's taking place. What the failures have been."

California insurers nixed hundreds of thousands of policies for homeowners in areas prone to wildfires after state regulators banned higher premiums – despite the hazards. Some Republicans seized on this issue.

"California made some really bad policy decisions that caused those insurance companies to flee," said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La. "The people that made those policy decisions have to be held accountable, too."

Even some Democrats questioned the local response. 

Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., worked on a bill to help guarantee water for all Californians when they turn on the spigot when he served in the state legislature.

NEWSOM FACT-CHECK SITE ON FIRE RESPONSE LINKS TO DEM PARTY FUNDRAISING GIANT

"Why didn't they have water? Is it negligence or is it just the fact that so many fires were breaking out all over the city in so many different areas that the system was being pushed to capacity and got overwhelmed?" asked Gomez. 

Other Democrats rebuked GOP criticism of California’s leaders.

"I think that's all just ridiculous," said Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif. "I think the governor is on the ground doing a great job managing the response. I don't think that we should be putting blame on anyone." 

The cost of the fires likely means demands for another infusion of cash from Congress for FEMA – just as Republicans are starting to look to cut billions if not more than a trillion dollars. How can lawmakers pay for natural disasters – and yet slash all of this money? 

"It's always going to be hard. I think we just got to prioritize. And, I think we need to couple any major spending with cuts on the other side," said Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn.

"So to be clear, when that bill comes due for California, some conservatives want to see some offsets?" asked yours truly of Burchett.

"Absolutely," replied Burchett.

The wildfires would have been a major issue had Congress not forked over more than $100 billion just to FEMA and various disasters in the bill before Christmas. Yet some Republicans are skeptical of the competence of FEMA to do the job. 

"I doubt the people of California will get their $700 that will be promised to them. Because as it happened in North Carolina, in Tennessee, a lot of people were turned down because all their identification was burnt up or was washed away. And there it'll be all burnt up. It'll just be a cluster," predicted Burchett.

Florida’s former statewide emergency management director posed an ominous warning.

"I’ve got bad news for everybody. Disasters are coming everywhere," observed Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., on MSNBC.

More disasters means additional demand for relief. That’s the challenge as Republicans try to cut spending. 

A few wise souls on Capitol Hill have tinkered with developing a new model to address natural disasters. The current budget model is fund appropriations under the premise that NOTHING will happen. Then it’s sometimes a challenge for lawmakers to pass a bill providing additional aid. 

So there were two monster hurricanes in the fall. Wildfires now. What’s next? An earthquake? Blizzards? Ice storms? Tornadoes? Drought? Floods? 

There has been debate about creating a "rainy day fund" - perhaps a "monsoon day fund" - that Congress can tap to dispatch major chunks of money without hassle when natural disasters hit.

Other natural disasters are inevitable. 

But Congressional funding to cover the cost is far from it.

President-elect Donald J. Trump has waffled on his preferences for how his party tackles his agenda, adding to the uncertainty for Republicans.

The Constitution dictates that the 119th Congress begins at noon et on Friday. 

And the first order of business in the House is to elect the Constitutional officer for the legislative branch of government: Speaker of the House.

Only the House votes for Speaker. And the House can’t do anything – I’ll repeat that, anything – until it chooses a Speaker. 

It can’t swear-in Members until the House taps a Speaker and he or she is sworn-in. The Speaker then swears-in the rest of the body, en masse. Then the House must adopt a rules package to govern daily operations. Only then can the House go about debating bills, voting and constructing committees for hearings. 

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If the House fails to elect a Speaker on the first ballot, it must proceed to a second ballot. 

And on and on.  

Consider for a moment that the House had never even taken a second vote for Speaker in a century before the donnybrook two years ago. It took four ballots to re-elect late House Speaker Frederick Gillett, R-Mass., in 1923. 

What is past is prologue for the House. Consider how the House consumed 15 rounds spread out over five days before electing former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in January, 2023. The Speakership remained vacant – and thus, the House frozen – for 22 days after Republicans dumped McCarthy nine months later. House Republicans then tapped House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., for Speaker. Scalise withdrew his name before there was even a floor vote. House GOPers then tapped Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to become Speaker. But Jordan lost three consecutive votes for Speaker on the House floor, bleeding support on each ballot. House Republicans then anointed House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., for Speaker. Emmer withdrew hours later. 

House Republicans finally nominated House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., for the job. The Louisiana Republican won on the floor. But some conservatives have been disappointed in Johnson ever since. They’ve flagged how he handled multiple, interim spending bills from last November on. They didn’t like that he allowed a bill on the floor to aid Ukraine. They opposed him doing yet another interim spending bill in September. They really didn’t like how he worked with Democrats on major, must-do pieces of legislation. And then there was the misstep of the staggering, 1,500-page interim spending package which Mr. Trump and Elon Musk pulverized from afar in December. Johnson then did President-elect Trump’s bidding with another spending package – which included a debt ceiling increase. But 38 House Republicans bolted on that bill. 

So Johnson’s tenure has been bumpy. And that’s why he’s on the hook come Friday afternoon during the vote for Speaker. Everyone on Capitol Hill is on tenterhooks when it comes to wrapping this up expeditiously. 

Here’s what will happen Friday at noon: 

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Acting House Clerk Kevin McCumber will preside until the House elects a Speaker. The first order of business is a "call of the House." That’s where the House establishes how many of its Members-elect are there, simply voting "present." The House should clock in at 434 members: 219 Republicans and 215 Democrats. There should be one vacancy. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., resigned in the fall – and said he did not "intend" to serve in the new Congress, despite having won reelection. 

Watch to see if there are absences in that call of the House. Fox is told that Democrats who have struggled with health issues of late – including Reps. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., Dwight Evans, D-Penn., and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will likely be there. But the Speaker’s election is about the math. How many lawmakers report to the House chamber will dictate margins in the Speaker’s vote.

Then it’s on to nominating speeches. Incoming House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich., will nominate Johnson for Speaker. House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., will nominate House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. Anyone else can then place someone’s name in nomination.

Then, the House calls the roll of Members-elect alphabetically. Each Member rises and verbally responds, calling out their choice by name. Reps. Alma Adams, D-N.C., Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., and the aforementioned Aguilar are the first names out of the block.

But lawmakers can vote for anyone they want. That includes persons who aren’t House Members. That’s why there have been votes cast over the years for the late Gen. Colin Powell, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., former Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., and former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker. 

This is what Johnson – or anyone else must do – to win the Speakership:

The winning candidate must secure an outright majority of all Members voting for a candidate by name. 

So let’s say there are 434 members and all vote for someone by name. The magic number is 218. If Johnson gets the votes of all 219 Republicans, he wins. If Johnson gets 218 votes, he also wins. But 217? No dice. Under those circumstances Johnson would have prospectively outpolled Jeffries, 217-215 – with two votes going to other candidates. But the "most votes" doesn’t win. 217 is not an outright majority of House Members voting for someone by name. The House must take ANOTHER ballot to elect a Speaker. 

Fox is told there are anywhere from 12 to 17 Republicans who could vote for someone besides Johnson. And some Republicans are being cagey about their votes. 

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Here’s something to watch: Members who vote "present."

Rather than voting for someone besides Johnson, some Republicans may protest by simply voting "present." A "present" vote does not count against Johnson. 

So let’s do some hypothetical math here:

Let’s say 434 Members cast ballots. Jeffries secures support from all 215 Democrats. Three Republicans vote "present." In other words, not voting for any candidate by name. Johnson scores 216 votes. He has the most votes. But more importantly, only 431 Members voted for someone by name. 216 is an outright majority of 431. 434 doesn’t matter under these circumstances. So Johnson becomes Speaker. 

But there is serious danger in too many Republicans voting "present." 

Consider this scenario: 

All 215 Democrats vote for Jeffries. But five Republicans vote "present." Johnson records 214 votes. 429 Members cast ballots for someone by name. The magic number here is 215. Guess who’s Speaker? Jeffries. He marshalled an outright majority of all Members voting for a candidate by name.

As they say in the movies, "You play a very dangerous game, Mr. Bond."

With such a thin margin in the House, Republicans are absolutely tinkering with fire if they get too cute by half. Yes. Some conservatives might not want to re-elect Johnson as Speaker. But they certainly don’t want Jeffries. 

So it’s hard to say what happens on Friday afternoon. If the House dithers too long, this could delay the certification of the Electoral College vote on Monday. The House and Senate must meet in a Joint Session of Congress on January 6 to certify the election results. No House Speaker? No Joint Session. 

But something else will likely unfold if this drags on. Johnson loyalists and mainstream Republicans have had it with right-wing ideologues, the Freedom Caucus and other freelancers. Expect a full-on brawl between those two factions if Republicans struggle to elect a Speaker.

And as we wrote earlier, what is past is prologue. 

A protracted battle over the Speakership serves as prologue to the looming, internecine fights among Republicans when it comes to governing. That’s to say nothing of implementing a solitary plank of President-elect Trump’s agenda.

Tom clearly lays out the many issue that are outstanding against the Biden. Tom is an excellent speaker of these issue since he is at the forefront in the fight against Biden Corruption.

A top New Jersey lawmaker is proposing legislation to form a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the Garden State, modeling it after the one Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Ohio entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are forming at the federal level.

"We need it more" than Washington, Senate Minority Whip Joe Pennacchio, R-Boonton, said. 

"We're mirroring what the federal government and what those two gentlemen are doing."

Pennacchio, who also previously worked under former Republican Gov. Donald DiFrancesco on economic development, said NJDOGE would take on a state budget that has increased 60% in the past seven fiscal years.

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"A lot of those increases were one-shots, when they borrowed money during the period of COVID. You're not going to get that back. … They haven’t even spent it all. Those one-shots, they’re all gone.

"I’ve seen estimates of a budget deficit next year of maybe $4 billion. Next year is the governor’s race. We will have a new governor, and regardless of who comes in — Republican or Democrat — it would be nice to have a committee together to give them a blueprint of what we can or should not do."

He said the state does have a "red tape" commission set up by former Gov. Chris Christie to trim regulations, adding it hasn’t borne results.

"Every dollar we save is $1 less that [Trenton] has to raise taxes," Pennacchio said. 

Pennacchio’s committee, if approved, would consist of one member from the state Treasury, one from the Chamber of Commerce, the top Republican and Democrat from the Senate and General Assembly and one public member appointed by the governor.

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"[N]ot only can we start to chip away at our exacerbated affordability crisis by cutting wasteful spending and ensuring efficiency, we can also ease the financial burden for our constituents across the Garden State by lowering the onslaught of taxes and fees," Pennacchio said.

At least one other state senator is planning to endorse the idea but has not yet done so publicly. Fox News Digital also reached out to representatives of the General Assembly for their reaction to the senator’s legislation.

Despite being long viewed as a reliably "blue" state, New Jersey came within about four points of electing Donald Trump instead of Vice President Kamala Harris. Political analysts pointed to the results as evidence of a tidal shift in public opinion toward government spending, among other subjects.

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Trump twice won Morris County and flipped Passaic County in 2024, parts of which Pennacchio represents. The lawmaker said his constituents are on board with his NJDOGE proposal and that they’ve similarly recognized disparities in the funding support they receive from Trenton.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump Transition for comment on the plan.

"My district is a district that is getting the bills. Schools in my district are seeing cuts while schools in other districts are not seeing cuts," Pennacchio said.

"It is stuff like this that we should look at. … If the legislature sees fit that they still want to subsidize this nonsense, then that's fine. They’ll be on record.

"Let's greet the next new governor with outlines of what they can do, where there are cost savings, where things can be eliminated; that will stimulate the economy, maybe decrease taxes on the people."

The 2025 field for that governor’s race is packed, with several top names in both partisan primaries.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, former Senate Leader Steve Sweeney and representatives Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer round out the Democratic choices.

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Truck driver and former state Sen. Ed Durr, Sen. Jon Bramnick, conservative journalist Bill Spadea and 2021 gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli are the top names on the Republican side.

State Sen. Robert Singer, R-Lakewood, also joined Pennacchio's call for a NJDOGE.

"With President Trump's plan to bring business back to the U.S., New Jersey has the chance to lead the charge. It's time to restore our state's manufacturing glory with high-paying jobs," Singer said.

"Let's make New Jersey the blueprint for the Make America Work Again movement, starting with a statewide DOGE."

Recently, large drones have been spotted across Pennacchio’s district, making nationwide news.

Pennacchio slammed the feds for offering Jerseyans few answers on the aircraft, saying that when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in 2001, government officials knew right away who orchestrated it.

"We even had some face time with the Department of Homeland Security (about the drones). They were useless. … They should be ashamed of themselves. The FBI director, he checked out. [Christopher Wray] already announced that he's leaving. … So who's minding the store here?"