(NewsNation) — Lawmakers are returning from a two-week Easter recess to begin working on a budget resolution that President Donald Trump has called the “Big, Beautiful Bill.”
Earlier this month, the House of Representatives approved a blueprint that calls for trillions of dollars in tax breaks and spending cuts over the next 10 years.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is set to meet with Trump at the White House, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is set to meet with Republican lawmakers who are working on the budget bill to kickstart the month-long marathon to pass it, which is being seen as a test of Republican unity.
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It has been a challenge for Johnson to keep all House Republicans and factions together, as some were split on how much money should be cut from the budget. Johnson has set a Memorial Day weekend deadline to get the bill passed and on to Trump’s desk.
Trump is looking at what he wants to spend on defense, border security, domestic and energy polices and tax cuts. Medicaid has been a discussion among Congress as they work on the bill, with some saying there may be serious cuts to services with it. A lot of Republican districts have voters who have Medicaid as their primary source of healthcare.
“What we’ve made very clear is that we won’t vote for something that takes away benefits from seniors, the disabled and vulnerable people that we represent that rely on Medicaid,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., told NewsNation. “We want to cut the fraud, waste and abuse, and we will not do anything that will impact benefits.”
