WASHINGTON — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is challenging GOP Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to a showdown over Republicans’ blueprint, known as a budget resolution, that serves as the guide to ultimately passing President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda.
In a letter sent to the speaker, Jeffries asked Johnson to join him in a “one-on-one debate” on the House floor on Wednesday. The Democratic leader in the lower chamber went on to argue that the resolution – which currently faces an unknown future in the lower chamber – would “primarily benefit wealthy billionaires” while taking away from “critical healthcare programs relied upon by everyday Americans to survive.”
“The American people deserve to know the truth,” Jeffries continued. “I look forward to a one-on-one debate with you on the House Floor to fully and transparently explain and defend our differing budget values to the American people.”
Asked about the challenge from the Democratic leader on Tuesday, Johnson told Fox News at the Capitol he hadn’t seen it but he was happy to debate “any time.”
“That’s interesting,” he responded. “I’m happy to debate him any time.”
The House is set to vote on the resolution – which is the Senate’s version of a blueprint to ultimately passing Trump’s agenda on the border, defense, energy and taxes and would allow Republicans to begin the process of drafting the actual legislation to do so – as soon as Wednesday. The Senate passed the blueprint (with two Republicans joining all Democrats in opposition) last week but it faces an uncertain path in the lower chamber, where the GOP holds a narrow majority, as some House Republicans known for pushing back on government spending have rejected it.
Trump has been pushing for its passage, writing on Truth Social on Wednesday morning that was “IMPERATIVE that Republicans in the House pass the Tax Cut Bill, NOW!” He also met with a group of House Republicans on Tuesday in a bid to sway some holdovers.
Nonetheless, some do not appear to be budging as they express concerns that the minimum amount of cuts laid out in the Senate plan is far less than the one proposed in the House version that passed weeks ago.
Both chambers have to pass resolutions that mirror one another before they can begin crafting the final legislation on Trump’s biggest priorities.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that the budget goals laid out in the House resolution could not be achieved without cuts to Medicaid – something Jeffries referenced in his debate challenge letter to Johnson.
Democrats, who are blasting the resolution, predicted Tuesday that most Republicans pledging to oppose it this week will ultimately “cave.”
“House Republicans generally say one thing when they’re in an elevator with us and then they do something else when they are given an opportunity to vote on the floor,” Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., told reporters.