House Speaker Mike Johnson got the quote from President Trump, but not the Truth Social post that could end this standoff in a hurry.

• "Mike, you have my proxy on proxy voting," Johnson wrote that Trump told him.

Why it matters: The best way out for Johnson is for Trump to publicly take his side, and that's not happening yet.

• The speaker's fight over proxy voting with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) torpedoed House action this week.

😐 Trump has taken both sides over the past two days: He supports proxy voting for new parents, he said yesterday. He also supports Johnson, he said both days.

• Even if Johnson decides to cut a deal, members of the House Freedom Caucus are signaling they won't accept any form of proxy voting.

This is the most jarring chart we've seen on the stakes for Senate GOP leader John Thune in the coming months.

Why it matters: The Senate plans much deeper cuts than the $4 billion they've got on paper in the budget reconciliation plan.

• But if they stall out, or Trump makes too many promises (like no cuts to Medicaid benefits), the plan could cause the debt to explode.

Zoom in: The Senate's current plan allows nearly $6 trillion in deficit spending, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

• The big driver: The Senate wants to count the cost of extending Trump's tax cuts at zero, which would total around $4.5 trillion if it used a traditional score.

Between the lines: Johnson's plan is also a debt bomb.

• See the CRFB report

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) had one of the best-ever fundraising debuts for a Senate Democrat, pulling in more than $1 million in his first quarter.

Why it matters: Gallego's victory in purple Arizona last year has positioned him as one of the party's most intriguing young voices in Congress.

• Gallego's campaign raised $850,000 in Q1, according to numbers first shared with us. His leadership PAC raised around $385,000.
• That puts his campaign just behind Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) for the party's most prolific freshman fundraising debut. If you include Gallego's fundraising PAC, it's the top total.

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— Stephen Neukam

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wants Democrats to hit six themes in their amendments during tonight's vote-a-rama on the Trump budget bill.

• 1. Medicaid cuts; 2. tax cuts; 3. tariffs; 4. veterans and national security; 5. corruption; and 6. Social Security.

Why it matters: Democrats used a similar strategy in February, when Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) voted for a handful of Democratic amendments. Dems are also closely watching Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who has a tough 2026 race.

• Democrats have filed 20+ amendments related to Social Security and the service cuts the Trump administration is eyeing for the program.
• Dozens of amendments are on preventing tax cuts for wealthy Americans.
• The Democrats are also targeting Trump's mass deportation policies as they try to stop enforcement at hospitals, churches and schools.

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— Stephen Neukam

Trump's tariffs have earned him a near-universal rebuke from Democrats, with the notable exception of top lawmakers from Michigan.

Why it matters: Trump's 25% tariffs on vehicles and auto parts not produced in the U.S. went into effect yesterday,

• Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) told us that "no one disputes that tariffs are a good tool" but criticized the president for his "sloppy and across-the-board" tariff policies. "Trump is either going to be really, really right or really, really wrong," Slotkin said.
• Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) told us he was essentially in wait-and-see mode to determine the impact of the auto tariffs.
• "I have always said that when used strategically, tariffs are a critical tool to bring back jobs," Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) said after Trump's 10% across-the-board tariff announcement.

Between the lines: Slotkin told us auto companies have been privately freaking out about the policies but are "concerned to stick their neck out and become the center of attention for the Trump administration."

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— Stephen Neukam