Scoop: Trump ally urges Senate GOP to punt funding fight to 2025
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Then-President Donald Trump listens while then-acting OMB Director Russell Vought speaks during an executive order signing. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
Close Trump ally Russell Vought urged Senate Republicans in a closed-door lunch to delay this year's government funding fight to 2025 — to maximize options in a potential second Trump administration, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: It's the latest of several early efforts to start clearing the way for an ambitious, rapid-fire start should former President Trump succeed in ousting President Biden.
- The moves telegraph Republican confidence going into what's expected to be a fierce fight for the White House and Congressional majorities in November's election.
- Funding the government into 2025 also would avoid a potentially ugly — and fractious — internal GOP fight before voters head to the polls by taking a potential government shutdown off the table.
Driving the news: Vought — who was Trump's OMB director and is a key player in transition preparations — spoke at the GOP Steering Committee's lunch Wednesday, according to a source in the room.
- Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Whip John Thune (R-S.D.), Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah) and several conservative senators attended.
- Vought gave an overview of preparations under way to act fast on Trump campaign promises and urged senators to pass a long-term continuing resolution that would last through February or March. The fiscal year ends on Sept. 30.
- Senators also pitched ideas for policy priorities if Trump is elected.
- Vought declined to comment.
Zoom in: Vought warned Democrats could use the appropriations process in the late summer and early fall to hamstring a future Trump administration — blocking him from using funds to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, for example.
- By contrast, If the GOP controls the Senate and White House next year, they could use the funding bills to try to slash federal spending and attach controversial policies.
- Budget reconciliation — a process that would allow Republicans to bypass the 60-vote threshold to pass certain legislation — was also discussed.
What to watch: Conservatives in the House have been fighting to add ideological policy riders to government funding bills — so far to no avail.
- They have targeted everything from DEI programs to gender-affirming care, abortion, border security — and penalizing Justice Department officials who have brought criminal charges against Trump.
The big picture: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) has been talking directly with Trump about how to tackle GOP priorities, including through budget reconciliation.
- Speaker Mike Johnson has also had 2025 planning talks with Trump.
- Republican senators on the Finance committee recently discussed how to rapidly extend Trump's tax cuts set to expire next year, Punchbowl reported.
The bottom line: A nearly six-month funding bill would sweep big GOP disagreements under the carpet ahead of November elections.
- If Democratic and Republican leaders come to terms on one, it would amount to a temporary agreement to fight another day--when both think they might have the upper hand.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to state that Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is the minority leader (not the majority leader).
