WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump convened a meeting on Wednesday with a select group of House Republicans facing precarious political circumstances as the party seeks a unified approach to implementing promised tax cuts and other initiatives.
This gathering comes during Trump’s first week in his second term, as he aims to push forward his agenda. Concurrently, around 160 personnel from the National Security Council have been sent home pending a review to ensure their alignment with Trump’s policies. Additionally, the Pentagon is considering the deployment of up to 1,500 active duty troops to bolster border security operations.
“The American people have been waiting for such a time as this,” stated Karoline Leavitt, the spokesperson for the White House.
Meanwhile, Stephen Miller, a key advisor to Trump, engaged with Senate Republicans to inform them about upcoming plans concerning deportations and the potential reinstatement of Title 42, a policy established during the COVID-19 pandemic aimed at restricting border crossings.
Despite the Republican Party holding control over the White House and both houses of Congress, the majorities are slim, leading to significant disagreements on how to tackle the myriad issues at stake.
The meeting took place amid a series of “listening sessions” with House Speaker Mike Johnson, who faces substantial challenges in rallying his party in the immediate future. Trump has also hosted dinners with Republican lawmakers at his Mar-a-Lago estate and is set to address them at an upcoming private retreat in Doral, Florida, where he owns a resort.
“We’re working in close collaboration with the White House because this is an America First agenda that necessitates both branches of government to work cohesively,” Johnson mentioned at a news conference on Wednesday.
Referring to the meeting with Trump, Johnson remarked that the President “is kick-starting what will ultimately be our legislative agenda.”
Participants in the meeting included New York’s Mike Lawler, Pennsylvania’s Brian Fitzpatrick, and Don Bacon from Nebraska, all of whom represent districts that supported Democrat Kamala Harris in the last presidential election.
An initial meeting with Trump and Republican leaders at the White House earlier was characterized by one attendee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, as more akin to a “first date” than a lasting partnership.
Discussions have centered around determining the best strategy for advancing proposals surrounding tax cuts, deportations, and significant cuts to the federal workforce, all essential pledges of Trump’s tenure.
Trump has expressed a preference for a “one big, beautiful bill,” a sentiment shared by House Republican leaders. However, Senate Republicans are more skeptical of this idea, cautioning that it may take too long to assemble such legislation only for it to disintegrate under its own complexity.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is advocating a two-step strategy, which would initially allocate funds for enhancing border wall construction, mass deportation efforts, and domestic energy development, along with resources for the Pentagon. This approach would defer contentious discussions about tax and spending cuts to a subsequent proposal.
Beyond strategic disagreements, there are fundamental divisions among Republican legislators concerning specific policies, even though there is broad consensus on the necessity of tax reductions and minimizing the federal government’s size.
For instance, some members are emphasizing the importance of reinstating the SALT deduction, which enables taxpayers to deduct state and local taxes from their federal tax bill, a critical issue for lawmakers like Lawler, representing the high-tax jurisdiction of New York.
