Democrats spot opening to kneecap GOP's budget plans
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 4. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
House Democrats want to hobble Republicans' efforts to pass wide-reaching fiscal policy legislation — and a key vote this week on a budget framework is emerging as a possible golden opportunity for them to do just that.
Why it matters: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is grappling with several potential defections on their side. With a razor-thin majority, unified Democratic opposition could cement the budget bill's demise.
- But House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is dealing with the fact that some of their older and ailing members have regularly missed votes this year, and he will need to be at full strength to make his power felt.
- Democratic leadership will also have to ensure their centrist members — prone to breaking ranks on key bills — are fully behind them this time.
State of play: House Republicans are planning a Tuesday vote on a budget resolution that lays out at least $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and a $4 trillion debt limit increase, as well as $2 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, nutrition assistance, student loans and other federal programs.
- The vote is the first step in the House GOP's plan to pass a hulking budget reconciliation bill.
- Some fiscal conservatives within the House GOP view the cuts as insufficient to offset the bill's deficit impact, while other Republicans are balking at cuts to programs like Medicaid that would hit their constituents hard.
- Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) has said she is a no, while others are privately expressing concerns. Johnson can likely only afford two defections at most.
Driving the news: In a "dear colleague" letter Monday morning, Jeffries made abundantly clear how paramount attendance will be for Democrats this week.
- "Given the expected closeness of the vote, it's imperative that we are present with maximum attendance," he wrote. "We must be at full strength to enhance our opportunity to stop the GOP Tax Scam in its tracks."
- The admonition comes after House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), in a virtual caucus last week, stressed the importance of showing up to the budget vote.
Zoom in: Actually ensuring that their caucus is at full strength could be a real challenge for Democrats.
- Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who is 77 years old and was diagnosed with cancer last year, has missed every House vote since the Jan. 3 speaker election. His office did not respond to a request for comment.
- Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who is recovering from hip surgery, will be present for the vote, said a source familiar with her plans.
Zoom out: While a senior House Democrat told Axios there is "a question" of whether all Democrats will actually vote against the bill, one prominent centrist said Jeffries has nothing to worry about on that score.
- "I don't think you will find any [Democrat] supporting massive cuts," said Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), one of roughly a dozen House Democrats who represent districts President Trump won last November.
- Many moderate Democrats have also balked at the idea of increasing the debt limit in order to fund an extension of the 2017 tax cuts.
Between the lines: The vote comes as both sides are being buffeted by a sudden surge in activist anger towards the Trump administration's efforts to upend the federal government and GOP plans to slash federal funding.
- House Democrats and Republicans alike have been confronted during town hall events over the last week by constituents demanding they do more to protect funding and jobs in their districts.
- Democrats in particular have been deluged with calls from their grassroots base to take a maximalist approach to fighting Trump.
