Washington D.C. — On Wednesday, the House successfully passed a budget plan, largely supported by Republicans, which allocates up to $95 billion for the ongoing conflict with Iran, farming support, and selected elements of President Trump’s voting legislation, widely known as the SAVE America Act.
The resolution narrowly passed with a vote count of 216 to 214. Opposition stemmed from all House Democrats, two Republicans, and one independent aligned with the GOP.
This move marks the recent Republican attempt to force through President Trump’s primary goals, particularly as bipartisan budget talks have stalled. Democrats staunchly oppose the continuation of military involvement in Iran and the president’s proposed stringent voting laws.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, representing Louisiana, referred to this measure as the Republican party’s “best shot” at implementing as much of the SAVE America Act as possible into law.
Wednesday’s decision is merely the beginning of a partisan reconciliation strategy. The Senate must also consent to the resolution. This action directs relevant committees to start preparing the $95 billion reconciliation package, which must subsequently pass both the House and Senate. The Republicans opted for the reconciliation method—previously used to enact tax reductions and stricter immigration measures—because it enables the bypassing of Democratic resistance in the Senate, thereby facilitating approval with a simple majority.
The resolution directs the House Armed Services Committee and the House Intelligence Committee to write legislation that increases spending by up to $60 billion and $13 billion, respectively. The House Agriculture Committee received a $12 billion limit and the House Administration Committee was given a $10 billion cap.
The plan faces major hurdles in the upper chamber, where the SAVE America Act has been stuck for months and lacks even a simple majority of support. It’s also unclear whether the voting regulation provisions — such as requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote and a photo ID to cast a ballot — will survive the Senate’s rules governing the reconciliation process, which prohibit the inclusion of non-budgetary policies. Funding for the Iran war could also run into pushback. A handful of GOP senators have voted in recent months to rein in Mr. Trump on Iran as the war continues without congressional authorization.
The plan also does not include provisions to offset spending increases, which frustrated some conservatives in the House.
“I think the problem is there’s no plan to pay for it,” GOP Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio said last week ahead of House Republicans’ meeting with Vice President JD Vance, who came to the Capitol to rally members behind the plan. “A no-offset plan is dead on arrival.”
On Monday, Mr. Trump called on House Republicans to unify behind the budget resolution and “fight” for the SAVE America Act. Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought met with House Republicans on Tuesday morning as the administration worked to get the resolution across the finish line.