Senate Republicans expressed skepticism on Thursday regarding a House GOP proposal for a $95 billion budget resolution and a possible August timeline for its passage. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) stated that Speaker Mike Johnson’s goal of finishing the fiscal blueprint by early August was not yet a coordinated plan between the two chambers. The House Budget Committee began debating the resolution this week, which aims to use the reconciliation process to pass policy legislation with a simple majority.
The House framework includes $73 billion for defense and intelligence, $12 billion for agricultural assistance, and $10 billion for election-related initiatives. However, Senate Republicans remain divided on these totals. Defense hawks and agriculture-state representatives have suggested the proposed spending levels are too low, while fiscal conservatives, including Senators Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), argued that any package should be fully offset to avoid increasing the national debt.
Procedural concerns also persist among Senate GOP leadership and appropriators. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) indicated a preference for using the regular appropriations process rather than reconciliation. Thune noted that passing a budget resolution would require at least 50 Republican votes in the Senate and warned of the potential for "poison-pill" amendments during the floor debate. Speaker Johnson has not yet responded to the Senate leadership's comments regarding the timeline.