Johnson Withdraws Vote on Trump-Supported Budget Proposal Due to Dissenters

WASHINGTON—On April 9, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) delayed a vote on the Senate’s negotiated budget resolution that would have propelled Congress toward advancing President Donald Trump’s agenda.

The vote was postponed—after remaining open for an hour and 15 minutes—due to ongoing opposition from several Republicans regarding various components of the legislation.

Johnson later informed The Epoch Times that no further votes would occur on Wednesday night and that a vote on the budget resolution is scheduled for Thursday.

This represents a significant setback for both Johnson and the president, who endorsed the proposal on April 8.

“Close your eyes and get there. It’s a phenomenal bill. Stop grandstanding,” Trump urged on April 8 during a fundraiser dinner for the House GOP’s campaign and finance wing, the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Despite Trump’s assurances to conservatives that they would achieve the substantial spending cuts they are pursuing, doubts persist among GOP skeptics regarding the package.

The withdrawal of the resolution indicates that leadership anticipated challenges in passing the legislation if brought to a vote.

They will now need to return to negotiations to secure enough backing for the proposal, despite Trump’s attempts to rally support during discussions with dissenting members of the House Republican conference.

Earlier that same day, the House Rules Committee had moved the resolution forward with a 9–3 vote, gaining support from some skeptics, including Reps. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) and Chip Roy (R-Texas), both members of the committee.

The day prior, Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) stated that approximately 40 critics had not made their final voting decisions.

This measure, introduced by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on April 2, largely reflects previously passed versions from both the House and Senate. It establishes spending and cutting target limits for Congress without requiring a full consensus.

Several contentious issues within the package—such as the scale of deficit reductions, Medicaid cuts, and raising the debt ceiling by up to $5 trillion—have created divisions within the caucus.

A budget resolution is necessary to initiate the reconciliation process, which enables legislation concerning taxation, spending, and national debt to pass the Senate with a simple majority, circumventing the 60-vote filibuster that usually applies to most bills.

To officially commence the process, an identical budget blueprint resolution must be approved by both chambers of Congress. This resolution does not require the president’s signature or veto, though the final reconciliation bill will.

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), chairwoman of the House Rules Committee, emphasized that Americans are demanding a secure border, lower taxes, energy independence, and a more efficient and accountable federal government.

“We must address these priorities without delay, paving the way to the reconciliation process and continuing the work we started just a few months ago,” she stated.

On the other hand, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), the committee’s ranking member, criticized the budget resolution as immoral, claiming a reconciliation bill would increase national debt, offer tax breaks to the wealthy, and negatively impact children, seniors, and working parents.

The compromise budget resolution mandates the House and Senate to allocate $100 billion and $150 billion, respectively, for defense over the next decade. It also aims to make the 2017 tax cuts permanent while promoting measures related to border security and American energy.

The resolution proposes that the House raise the debt ceiling by $4 trillion and the Senate by $5 trillion, a point of contention for members of the House Freedom Caucus such as Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), as the national borrowing limit is set to be reached in the coming months.

Norman conveyed to The Epoch Times via text message that the resolution is “dead on arrival” in the House.

Another point of concern involves a directive to the House Energy and Commerce Committee to cut at least $880 billion from the deficit over the next decade, leading to apprehensions regarding cuts to Medicaid.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) assured that only waste, fraud, and abuse would be trimmed from the entitlement program.

With all Democrats present and voting against the resolution, Johnson can only afford to lose three GOP votes.

Trump has persistently urged House Republicans to approve the measure.

“If we fail to accomplish this due to a few individuals prioritizing their egos or showing off, you can only laugh at them, smile at them, or cry right in their face,” he stated.

Arjun Singh contributed to this report.