GOP plots third reconciliation bill as midterm clock ticks

Republicans are racing to assemble a third party-line package ahead of a month-long August recess, a high-stakes push that would give the GOP one final opportunity to cement major pieces of President Trump’s legislative agenda before the midterms could reshape control of Congress.

But getting such a bill across the finish line would be a daunting task for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), especially as the election season ramps up. Some conservatives are already pushing for an ambitious bill packed with defense spending, funding for the Iran military conflict, health care reform and other GOP priorities, while others running in battleground districts are wary of backing another sweeping partisan measure that could risk alienating swing voters.

And with Republicans holding onto a slim House majority, only two GOP defections are enough to derail the effort altogether. 

Despite the obstacles, House GOP leaders are pressing ahead with plans for the legislation. Johnson told reporters on Wednesday he expects a third reconciliation bill to move “in the coming weeks,” describing it as a vehicle to target “fraud, waste, and abuse in government,” among other priorities.

“The White House has dialed in on this 100%. The President has appointed someone, someone as high as the vice president. So, Vice President Vance is working on this as well,” Johnson said in a press conference.

Reconciliation is a special process that allows a party with unified control of Washington to bypass the Senate filibuster, lending them a major opportunity to move legislation that couldn’t pass otherwise. It was this same process that Republicans used to enact Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year and through which they are poised to pass funding for immigration enforcement........

© The Hill