What's in the GOP megabill Trump is rallying behind
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Speaker Mike Johnson at the U.S. Capitol this month. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images
House Republicans are pressuring the Senate to advance their reconciliation package as President Trump pushes for quick action.
Why it matters: The roughly $95 billion package is House Republicans' latest effort to enact Trump's priorities without Democratic votes using the reconciliation process.
- The framework already cleared some early hurdles, but House Republicans are pressing the Senate to move quickly to keep Trump's legislative agenda on track before the midterm elections.
- The reconciliation plan would require a simple majority in the Senate and avoid the 60-vote filibuster.
- "We are ready to work side-by-side with the Senate to get this done for the American People!" Trump wrote on Truth Social last week.
Here are key elements of the plan.
Iran war and military operations
The budget bill instructs the House Armed Services and House Intelligence committees to draft legislation that could increase the deficit by up to $73 billion combined.
- The Armed Services Committee has a cap of $60 billion, while the Intelligence Committee has a cap of $13 billion.
- This would mainly aid defense priorities, which experts say likely includes military operations tied to the Iran war — a conflict that has already cost more than $37.5 billion since it began in February.
State of play: Last week, the House again rebuked the Iran war by passing a resolution to curb Trump's military campaign.
- The vote came after three U.S. troops were killed in the region earlier in July.
- The resolution is largely symbolic and carries no force of law.
Farm aid
The resolution allows the House Agriculture Committee to draft legislation increasing the deficit by up to $12 billion — funding expected to help struggling farmers.
- This is separate from the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 that passed the House earlier this year. That package is still awaiting passage in the Senate.
What they're saying: The American Farm Bureau Federation celebrated the decision.
- "We applaud members of the House of Representatives for recognizing the economic toll facing farm country and advancing farm aid as part of their reconciliation package," AFBF said in a statement.
SAVE America Act
The bill calls for the House Administration Committee to make changes to law that will increase the deficit by a maximum of $10 billion.
- Because the committee oversees federal election law, any legal changes are expected to go toward implementing aspects of the SAVE America Act — a major political priority of Trump.
The other side: Elements of the SAVE Act funding have drawn criticism from some conservatives, who posit that the cash won't be used as intended.
- Rather than including the full SAVE Act, the package offers grants to states to adopt voter ID requirements.
- "That's just free money for Florida," Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) said of the grant program last week, Axios previously reported. Blue states "will never take the grant money. I'm not a big fan of carrots. I like sticks."
Senate and the reconciliation bill
What's next: Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has shown some resistance to the reconciliation bill, but House Republicans are increasing pressure on the Senate to pass the package, Axios reports.
- Thune said he plans to wait until government funding is resolved before tapping into the budget resolution.
- The White House is expected to turn up the heat on Senate Republicans, too.
What we're watching: Trump has publicly urged the Senate to pass the bill.
- On Monday, the president urged Thune to keep the Senate in town until the SAVE America Act passes, another sign he's pressing senators to move quickly.
Go deeper: Democrats hit the anti-incumbency trap
