On July 16, 2026, House GOP leaders successfully navigated a significant challenge as they moved forward with a $95 billion budget reconciliation framework during a House Budget Committee markup. The approval came along party lines, but House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., may encounter difficulties on the House floor next week due to criticism from some conservatives regarding the absence of spending-cut instructions in the package. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a member of the budget panel, abstained from voting.
The budget framework allocates $73 billion for defense and intelligence, $12 billion in assistance to farmers, and establishes a $10 billion fund for grants to states related to the SAVE America Act. Some House fiscal conservatives have expressed concerns that the bill lacks necessary spending offsets, with Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, stating that a plan without offsets would be 'dead on arrival.'
The budget blueprint will proceed to the House Rules Committee for a key vote before being presented for a full House vote by the end of the following week. This step is essential to initiate the budget reconciliation process, which requires near-unanimity among Republicans due to their slim majority. Johnson can afford to lose only three GOP votes if all members are present.
The proposal faces additional challenges in the Senate, where skepticism remains among some Republicans regarding another reconciliation effort. If the budget blueprint passes both chambers, lawmakers will then begin drafting the actual bill. Johnson has emphasized that this effort represents a critical opportunity for Republicans to advance key elements of the SAVE America Act ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.