House Majority Leader Steve Scalise discussed the GOP's goals of meeting their funding deadlines and enacting Trump policies. (Getty Images)
Scalise said it would be "much more robust" than Republicans’ last reconciliation bill passed in 2017 – the last time the GOP controlled Congress and the White House.
His optimism comes as congressional Republicans still appear divided over how best to enact their plans. Senate Republicans and some GOP hardliners in the House have argued that trying to pass a bill with border and energy policies first would give Trump a quick win, while allowing more time for more complex issues like taxes.
But House leaders are concerned that, given Republicans last passed two reconciliation bills in one year in the 1990s with much larger majorities, the two-track strategy could allow Trump’s 2017 provisions to expire and raise taxes on millions of families.
"You have to start somewhere. We're starting with one package," Scalise said. "No disagreement on the details of what we're going to include."
Meanwhile, lawmakers are also contending with the debt ceiling being reinstated this month after it was temporarily suspended in a bipartisan deal during the Biden administration. At least one projection suggests Congress will have until mid-June or earlier to deal with it or risk financial turmoil that comes with a downgrade in the U.S.’s national credit rating.
Republicans are working to enact President Donald Trump's agenda. (Donald Trump 2024 campaign)
Trump has on multiple occasions called on Republicans to act on the debt limit to avoid a U.S. credit default. Vance told Republicans on Tuesday that Trump wanted them to do so without giving leverage to Democrats – a weighty task given some GOP hardliners’ opposition to raising or suspending the limit over the U.S.’s $36 trillion national debt.
House GOP leaders can currently only afford one defection to still pass a bill along party lines.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
They’ve been forced to seek Democratic support on government funding multiple times, including most recently in December.
With no topline agreement reached and roughly 19 days in session before the March 14 deadline to avert a partial government shutdown, it’s becoming increasingly likely that congressional leaders will have to combine all 12 annual appropriations bills into one massive "omnibus," a move also generally opposed by GOP hardliners.
"I think we're getting closer," Scalise said of a topline number for fiscal year 2025 spending. "The House and Senate were apart by a pretty sizable amount of money. They’re trying to negotiate that down to get a resolution."
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/no-2-republican-steve-scalise-lays-out-government-funding-strategies-fiscal-deadlines-looming