Scoop ... Johnson's summer X-factor

The White House is eyeing this summer's debt ceiling's "X-date" as a forcing mechanism to push the "one big, beautiful bill" through Congress.

• "Gun to the head, the whole agenda, and the country's credit rating and global depression all rolled into one," says a White House official, describing their approach.

Why it matters: President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson's partnership has led to some early wins. But there's a growing realization that the next steps are way more difficult.

• It's also an acknowledgement that the timeline for passing reconciliation through Congress is closer to the end of the summer, not the beginning.
• No one knows the precise date that the federal government will breach the $36.1 trillion debt limit, but the latest CBO estimates project the X-date will land in August or September.
• Two key White House officials — Kevin Hassett and James Braid — traveled to the Senate tonight to meet with Finance Committee members to discuss the contours of the reconciliation package.

Zoom in: Since January, House leaders have wanted to include a debt ceiling hike in the reconciliation package.

• Senate GOP leaders embraced the same approach last week, with Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) saying that Trump was also on board.
• Now the White House is going a step further. And their eyes are wide open to the massive risks if they fail, both to Trump's presidency and the global economy.

• "President Trump believes the debt extension should occur as soon as possible during reconciliation," a White House official tells us.

The bottom line: Lifting the debt ceiling is never an easy vote for Republicans.

• Johnson learned that lesson in December, when Elon Musk successfully killed legislation that would have suspended it.
• Back in 2023, 71 House Republicans voted against the last debt ceiling increase, which was negotiated by then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (and contributed to his ouster.)
• Back in 2019, 139 Republicans voted against raising the debt ceiling despite Trump being in the White House.

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— Hans Nichols and Marc Caputo