The House returned from a two week Easter recess and began work on a reconciliation package that will address the President’s priorities to continue and enhance the 2017 tax cuts, increase spending on defense and border enforcement while significantly cutting overall federal spending. Various committee of jurisdiction have been issued targets to fulfill their part of the reconciliation puzzle to accomplish these goals. According to Punch News, Congress is scrambling to come up with a package that meets Trump’s goal of cutting taxes for Americans making less than $200,000, plus four years of no taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security payments.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said the final four committees involved in reconciliation will hold markups next week. This includes the Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, Natural Resources and Ways and Means committees, though not all of those panels have settled on markup timing.
House Ag Republicans are looking to include in the budget reconciliation bill the same commodity and crop insurance proposals that were in the committee's farm bill last year, committee Chairman Glenn Thompson told a group of agricultural journalists Tuesday. He confirmed that the committee planned to debate its portion of the budget reconciliation bill next week.
To meet its $10 billion revenue the transportation committee has proposed using existing state registration systems to collect new federal registration fees on electric and hybrid vehicles as well as standard gas powered passenger vehicles. A new fee of $200 on electric vehicles (EVs) and a $100 on hybrid vehicles would begin in the near term and a $20 fee on most other passenger vehicles would begin in 2031.
Speaker Johnson said the House Budget Committee would assemble the various committee pieces into a single reconciliation package during the week of May 12, teeing up a floor vote the week before Memorial Day. The aim is to have the entire package completed by July 4.