Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday it’s still his “plan” to clear his budget plan on the House floor this week despite mounting skepticism from key holdouts who could foil his wishes.
Speaking at an event held by Americans for Prosperity, Johnson stressed the importance of moving the “one, big beautiful bill” the House is pursuing so that a swath of 2017 tax cuts don’t expire without an extension.
But the speaker is facing off with GOP members who are still not supportive of the budget blueprint that is an essential first step toward that legislation. Notably, while leaders have privately planned for a Tuesday budget vote, Johnson on Monday didn’t mention it would happen on a specific day.
He otherwise acknowledged his tough situation: Asked about one possible “no” vote, Johnson quipped, “There may be more than one.”
“I don’t think anyone wants to be in front of this train, I think they want to be on it,” he added, saying he expected enough remaining holdouts to eventually support the plan.
“My math is much more complicated than in the Senate,” Johnson noted, adding later he “has the more complicated equation to solve.”
Johnson raised the prospect of including tariff revenue and savings from cuts made by President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency in the bill. Republicans are struggling to find enough revenue offset the costs of the bill, especially as a group of swing-district House Republicans balk at deep planned Medicaid cuts.
Johnson said his hope is to clear the legislation in the House by the first week of April and have it to Trump’s desk by early May. Even fellow Republican lawmakers acknowledge that timeline is incredibly ambitious.
Johnson also said that if this week’s planned budget vote is successful, then Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) could be free to proceed with her confirmation as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. POLITICO previously reported her nomination was on ice due to the thin House majority.
“They’ve not been kind with us there at the State Capitol,” Johnson said, referring to a plan from some Democrats in the state to change election rules and possibly leave Stefanik’s seat vacant until late this year.
