President Trump and his allies are getting worried. A major storm is brewing that would ruin everything.
That’s why the White House was rocked by this terrible news that just came out of Washington, D.C.
Trump’s GOP Against The Clock to Pass Historic Legislation Before It’s Too Late
The clock is ticking for Republicans in Washington. With President Donald Trump’s ambitious “one big, beautiful bill” hanging in the balance, conservative lawmakers in the House Freedom Caucus (HFC) are pressing pause, demanding more time to hammer out critical details. The urgency to deliver on Trump’s America First agenda is felt throughout the White House, but the HFC insists that rushing a vote could jeopardize the transformative reforms the president promised.
The HFC, an historic bastion of hardcore conservative resolve, met with House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday to discuss the sweeping tax and spending package. While acknowledging “progress” in negotiations over the past 24 hours, HFC leadership made it clear they’re not ready to greenlight a House-wide vote. Their stance is firm: the bill, a cornerstone of Trump’s second-term agenda, needs more work to align with the priorities of everyday Americans. Key sticking points include Medicaid reforms and the elimination of green energy tax breaks, which conservatives argue are essential to restoring fiscal sanity.
“I don’t think it can be done today,” HFC chairman Andy Harris told reporters at an impromptu press conference Wednesday. “The runway is short today. The leadership is going to have to figure out where to go from here.” Harris’s words reflect the urgency and frustration within the caucus. While they’re committed to advancing Trump’s vision, they refuse to compromise on principles just to meet an arbitrary deadline.
Harris remained optimistic about a path forward, noting, “But I think progress is made. I think that there is a pathway forward that we can see. But again, the leadership will have to figure out what the timeframe of this is … I’m not sure this could be done this week. I’m pretty confident it could be done in 10 days.” The HFC’s push for a delay underscores their determination to get the legislation right, ensuring it delivers for the American people.
The caucus is actively negotiating with the White House to secure a deal that aligns with Trump’s priorities. A meeting with the president himself is on the horizon, where HFC members hope to iron out specifics of the budget reconciliation bill. This direct engagement signals the caucus’s commitment to working with Trump, but they’re not willing to rubber-stamp a bill that falls short of the America First mandate.
Speaker Johnson, meanwhile, is racing against time to meet his self-imposed Memorial Day deadline for passing the bill and sending it to the Senate. The pressure is immense, with Trump personally urging House Republicans to unite and pass the legislation without delay. During a Tuesday meeting with the GOP conference, the president made his expectations crystal clear, pushing for swift action to capitalize on Republican control of Congress.
At the heart of the HFC’s resistance is their unwavering loyalty to Trump’s America First principles. They argue that more aggressive spending cuts are necessary to honor the president’s vision of a leaner, more efficient government. The caucus sees itself as the guardian of Trump’s promises, refusing to let Washington’s bureaucratic inertia dilute the bill’s impact.
Texas Rep. Chip Roy, a vocal HFC member, echoed Harris’s concerns, emphasizing the need for substantial reforms. “I want to be very clear, we’ve got to deliver on what we’re talking about, or we’re not going to be able to get the bill done, and that’s what we’re trying to achieve,” Roy said. His focus on eliminating green energy subsidies—a remnant of Biden-era policies—reflects the caucus’s commitment to dismantling what they see as wasteful spending.
Roy didn’t mince words about Trump’s campaign pledge to end the “Green New Scam.” He stated, “When the President said ‘End the Green New Scam,’ he didn’t mean leave 40 to 45 to 50% of the subsidies ongoing.” The HFC’s push to gut these subsidies aligns with Trump’s call to repeal Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, a move he championed on the campaign trail but has yet to address publicly since taking office.
The president’s blunt directive to House Republicans during a closed-door meeting Tuesday—telling them not to “f*ck around with Medicaid”—underscores his hands-on approach to the legislation. Trump’s insistence on protecting key programs while slashing waste has emboldened conservatives to hold the line on reforms that prioritize American workers and families.
Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry challenged Johnson’s Memorial Day deadline, calling it “arbitrary” and warning against hasty decisions. “If today comes and goes it doesn’t mean that this possibility to make sure that taxes stay low and that we fix America’s healthcare system and fix America’s energy system—it doesn’t mean that prospect is off the table,” Perry said. His words serve as a reminder that Republicans must prioritize quality over speed.
Perry doubled down, arguing, “This is a completely arbitrary deadline set by people here to force people into a corner to make bad decisions. It’s more important to get this right, to get it correct, than to get it fixed.” The HFC’s stance reflects a broader commitment to delivering lasting results for Americans, not just checking a box for political optics.
House GOP leadership isn’t taking dissent lightly. Majority Leader Steve Scalise issued a stark warning to Republicans considering breaking ranks. “Do you really want to be in the same category on this bill: raising taxes, saying ‘no’ to American energy, opening up the border, letting the criminal gang members who came to this country illegally stay in America,” Scalise told Fox News’ Guy Benson on Tuesday. He rattled off a list of Democrats—Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nancy Pelosi, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, and Jasmine Crockett—who are expected to vote against the bill, urging Republicans to avoid aligning with them.
Scalise emphasized the razor-thin margins in the House, stating, “We are always on a tight margin right now in the House. We’ve got to get it done. We’re not going to stop until we get it done.” His message is clear: unity is non-negotiable if Republicans hope to deliver on Trump’s agenda before the political landscape shifts.
The House Rules Committee, a critical gatekeeper for the bill, was still debating the legislation into the early hours of Wednesday morning. Rep. Roy, a member of the committee, has yet to commit to advancing the package.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
