House Republicans push forward on border security, tax cut and DOGE legislation

But just minutes later, the vote was back on.

The legislation passed largely along party lines with just one Republican, Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, joining all Democrats in voting “no.” The measure provides a rough outline, providing dollar amounts and authorizing lawmakers to iron out the details moving forward.

Most rank-and-file GOP members in the House had said all along they were ready to proceed with their version of the reconciliation bill, a type of funding legislation often used when the same party controls the House, Senate and White House because the minority party cannot use the filibuster to stop it.

U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde said earlier Tuesday that there is much in the framework to love, including new national defense spending plus a requirement that overall federal spending be reduced by at least $1.5 trillion. He said he is ready to start that conversation in hopes that Republicans can identify even more in savings.

“That’s why we set it up that way,” said Clyde, who represents northeast Georgia. “You know, there’s no upper limit of what we can do in spending cuts.”

Clyde has advocated for dismantling the U.S. Department of Education and said that is one place where additional savings can be found.

The House bill is intended to lead to more money for immigration enforcement and national defense, an extension of tax cuts approved during Trump’s first term to the tune of about $4.5 trillion. As part of the offsetting cuts to government spending elsewhere, about $800 billion would come from Medicaid and other safety net programs.

Now that the House framework is approved, it goes to the Senate for consideration. Both chambers must sign off on the plan for the reconciliation process to begin.

But Senate Republicans moved forward last week with a version of their own. Unlike the “one big beautiful bill” in the House that Trump has praised for including most of his legislative priorities in a single package, the Senate proposal is scaled down. It mainly contains new border security and defense spending.

That made it easier for Senate Republicans to back the package, and it advanced with the support of all but Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.

A handful of House Republicans initially said they will vote no on the more expansive House proposal, but their reasons were varied. Some members said they could not support a bill that could lead to steep cuts in Medicaid, while others said they don’t believe the proposed spending cuts go far enough in reducing the national debt.

In the end, all but Massie fell in line.

This debate on the spending package is occurring simultaneously as lawmakers must also address day-to-day funding for the federal government, which runs out on March 14.

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is supportive of the reconciliation bill but expressed concern about how lawmakers will address government funding.

She wrote on social media that she worries House leaders will eventually propose a “continuing resolution” that keeps agencies funded mostly at current levels. She said that would allow a continuation of programs that have already been identified as fraudulent, duplicative or wasteful by the Department of Government Efficiency initiative helmed by Trump ally Elon Musk.

“If Congress passes another CR that will be a continuing resolution that refunds everything in the previous omnibus including ALL the garbage DOGE has been exposing and cutting out,” wrote Greene, R-Rome. “Government funding runs out March 14th. Beware the Ides of March.”

There is disagreement, both in Congress and across the nation, as to how successful DOGE has been in targeting waste and whether the layoffs and pauses in funding are affecting essential services. Already, court rulings have forced DOGE to pause or walk back some of its cost-cutting efforts, including firings of certain employees.

Democrats have been unified in both chambers against the reconciliation process.

In the House, criticism has focused mostly on the potential reductions to Medicaid, Medicare and food stamps that benefit poor, disabled and elderly Americans. U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams said people are not happy as they learn that these programs are being affected partially to fund tax cuts for the wealthy.

She and other Georgia Democrats, including Reps. Sanford Bishop and Hank Johnson, attended a rally outside the U.S. Capitol to decry the GOP proposal ahead of Tuesday’s vote. Nearby, dozens of protesters representing left-leaning organizations chanted “do something” and held up signs decrying Musk’s influence on government spending deliberations.

“I’m hearing from people across the district, across the state and across the country that are being impacted — not just Democrats, not independents, but Republicans as well,” said Williams, an Atlanta Democrat. “These are Americans that are being impacted by these cuts that are not in line with what they voted for, even people who voted for Donald Trump.”