Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) laid out a plan for the coming Congress to first move a budget reconciliation package focused on border security and defense, then act later in the year on another package extending the expiring Trump-era tax cuts.
Republicans are also weighing proposals to bolster domestic energy production as part of the first package.
“We want to help lower energy costs, we want to help the military. We want to hit the ground running,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
Thune presented the plan at a half-day meeting of the Senate GOP conference at the Library of Congress, and President-elect Trump called in to urge Republican lawmakers to act swiftly and decisively on his agenda.
Budget reconciliation is a process by which the Senate can pass legislation with a simple majority — meaning no Democrats would have to be on board. It is the same process through which Democrats passed their sweeping Inflation Reduction Act.
Read more from our colleague Alexander Bolton at TheHill.com.
