CNN
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House Republicans have unveiled the first details in their sweeping bill to implement President Donald Trump’s agenda, promising to pump in roughly $150 billion for defense programs and tens of billions more in border security measures.
The details come as Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson are set to meet at the White House Monday afternoon – the same day Congress returns from a two-week recess and prepares for a critical period of legislating.
Eleven different House committees plan to release various pieces of the larger bill before they’re cobbled together into one massive package that Johnson wants to bring to the floor before Memorial Day, an ambitious timeframe.
But there are a number of contentious issues still unresolved, namely over $1.5 trillion in spending cuts to federal programs and a multi-trillion dollar overhaul of the US tax code.
The defense and homeland security provisions are considered less controversial among House Republicans, but the huge dollar for these programs underscores how central they are to the president’s agenda.
The $150 billion in defense programs includes $25 billion for Trump’s “Golden Dome” for missile defense, $34 billion in ship building and more than $20 billion in munitions purchases. The House Armed Services Committee plans to begin voting on Tuesday on this aspect of the bill.
On border security, the House Homeland Security Committee proposes $46.5 billion for new border barriers, $5 billion for new Customs and Border Protection facilities and $4 billion for new Customs officials and border personnel. The committee proposes several billion dollars more in new technology to tighten security measures at the border and also includes $1 billion for security and planning for the 2028 Olympics, as well as $625 million for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The House Homeland Security Committee is also planning to begin voting on Tuesday on this aspect of the larger proposal.
The House and Senate GOP are using a process known on Capitol Hill as “budget reconciliation” to try to advance the Trump agenda since bills can’t be filibustered in the Senate under this process. That means the GOP can enact the plan without Democratic support, but it needs to adhere to the strict budget rules in the Senate.
