What's the status of the budget bill?
FILE-Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) (C) speaks during a news conference at the Republican National Committee after a meeting of the House Republican Conference on March 4, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images)
Some Republicans are delaying acting on President Donald Trump’s budget bill of tax breaks and spending reductions.
The GOP holdouts are refusing to accept a Senate Republican budget framework approved over the weekend because it doesn't have enough cuts, the Associated Press noted.
Here’s what you need to know.
Where do things stand with the budget bill?
Why you should care:
Republicans are attempting to get President Donald Trump's budget bill closer to being passed, guaranteeing that some $4.5 trillion in tax breaks approved during his first term don't expire at the end of the year.
However, House Republicans are calling for as much as $2 trillion in budget cuts over the next 10 years, to help counteract the costs of the tax breaks, while Senate Republicans are hesitant to go that far. The Senate's plan calls for a minimum of $4 billion in cuts, while the House's cuts are much higher at $1.5 trillion.
Trump encouraged House Republicans to support the bill in a Truth Social post on Monday evening. Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus have pushed for Johnson to allow the House GOP to simply begin crafting its bill without passing the Senate version, though both chambers will need to eventually pass identical bills to send to Trump's desk.
According to FOX News, the bill may still get a House-wide vote late on Wednesday if the House Rules Committee advances the bill Wednesday morning.
No tax on overtime
What we know:
President Donald Trump has said he would support legislation to eliminate taxes on overtime pay, saying it gives people "more of an incentive to work."
What we don't know:
More details about Trump’s proposal have not been shared in the budget spending bill, including whether it would indeed cut both income tax and payroll taxes on overtime pay.
RELATED: Trump calls for no tax on tips, no tax on overtime: What we know
No tax on tips
What we know:
President Donald Trump originally announced in June 2024 a plan to exclude workers’ tips from federal taxes, stating that he got the idea from a server at his Las Vegas hotel.
What we don't know:
Additional details have not officially been unveiled about the proposal, including whether he wants to exempt tips from just income taxes or from the payroll tax as well.
Votes to preserve Medicaid, Social Security draw some Republican support
Big picture view:
Democrats tell the Associated Press that Republicans pose a threat to the nation’s safety net programs as they hunt for cost-savings to help offset the lost money from the tax breaks, and as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency makes massive changes to the federal government.
Some measures have been broached to protect Medicaid, Social Security, food stamps, Head Start child care, and Meals on Wheels for older Americans from budget cuts. Several Republicans joined Democrats in voting to preserve those programs, including Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, opposed the entire package in a warning against steep Medicaid cuts.
The AP reported that House Speaker Mike Johnson doesn’t have enough votes to pass the budget spending bill through with his slim majority.
During a Wednesday morning meeting of House Republicans, a number of legislators were vocal about the measure, with some saying they should simply accept the Senate resolution for now and keep working out the details toward the final package.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Associated Press, FOX News, and previous LIVENOW from FOX reporting. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.