(NewsNation) — Although President Donald Trump has called it a “big, beautiful bill,” Republican lawmakers are sounding the alarm over a budget plan pursued by the House that could come up for a vote as soon as Tuesday.
Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., has told reporters it is increasingly likely lawmakers will need to pass a stopgap bill to keep the government funded into the fall.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is pushing for the bill — and jokingly asking for prayers as negotiations continue. At an event in Louisiana, however, he maintained confidence that “we’re going to get everyone there.”
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Still, there are some doubts it can go forward. Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., told NewsNation partner The Hill that “there’s probably 10 (Republicans) that are really nervous about the situation.” A trio of Republicans, per The Hill, have said they will vote against the proposal.
Supporters of the bill say it fulfills Trump’s campaign promises and addresses his full agenda — including extending his 2017 tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of the year. It would also provide about $300 billion in additional spending for the border and defense.
However, the legislation also calls for up to $2 trillion in spending cuts, without laying out exactly what those would entail, along with a debt limit increase.
The lack of detail about the potential cuts has some worried Medicaid is not off the table.
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“I know the president has already indicated that he does not want to cut from beneficiaries,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., said. “That’s important for me to hear. The speaker has said the same. But then the question remains — how do we get to that $880 billion in savings, and what does it mean for the tax cuts?”
Democrats have slammed the tax cuts, saying they would only benefit the wealthy, but they have not put forward alternative legislation.
Instead, they are working with the House Appropriations Committee on a bill that would temporarily avoid a government shutdown before the March 14 deadline.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
