The House Freedom Caucus has presented a plan to Trump, and is now drawing battle lines on the reconciliation fight.

The reconciliation process is a source of disagreement among Republicans.

The House Freedom Caucus has presented a plan to Trump, and is now drawing battle lines on the reconciliation fight.
The House Freedom Caucus has presented a plan to Trump, and is now drawing battle lines on the reconciliation fight.

The conservative House Freedom Caucus is set to unveil a plan for Republicans' conservative policy overhaul, which involves raising the debt limit by two years or approximately $4 trillion, according to Planet Chronicle Digital.

Republicans in Congress are readying for a significant conservative policy revamp via the budget reconciliation process. By reducing the Senate's approval threshold from 60 to 51 votes, reconciliation enables the party in power to enact broad policy changes, as long as they address budgetary and fiscal issues.

There is debate over whether to include all goals in one bill or split them into two separate pieces of legislation to ensure early victory on at least some measures.

Republicans of the House Freedom Caucus
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, speaks during the House Freedom Caucus news conference to oppose the debt limit deal outside the U.S. Capitol on May 30, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

President-elect Trump prefers a one-bill approach but is open to a two-bill option. He assigned Republicans the responsibility of raising or suspending the debt limit, as the U.S. Treasury anticipates running out of funds to settle its debts by mid-June.

The Freedom Caucus members are among the Republicans advocating for two separate legislation. The plan to be presented on Thursday will comprise border security, defense, and deep budget cuts in the first bill.

The tax breaks being extended in the second bill would be offset by cuts to those programs.

Last Friday, at Mar-a-Lago, the conservative lawmakers presented their plan to Trump, but his response remains unclear.

Trump mar-a-lago
Conservative lawmakers presented the plan to President-elect Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

John Thune, the Senate Majority Leader from South Dakota, had previously supported a two-bill approach in his public statements.

Those who oppose the plan, including Republicans on the House Ways & Means Committee, have cautioned that if Trump's tax cuts are not included in a second bill, it is almost certain that the provisions he passed earlier will expire by the end of the year, resulting in higher taxes for millions of Americans.

Since the 1990s, no two reconciliation bills have been passed in one term, as pointed out by Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., to FOX Business host Maria Bartiromo.

The GOP negotiators have not yet determined whether to incorporate debt limit action in their reconciliation bill, which is known to necessitate challenging political maneuvering.

The Freedom Caucus' proposed plan aims to bring together fiscal hawks who have historically opposed action on the debt limit to reach a consensus.

House Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., favors a one-bill approach.
House Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., favors a one-bill approach. (Tom Williams)

The same group is also concerned that a single bill containing all agenda items may not result in enough spending cuts to offset the additional expenses.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., will face a razor-thin majority after two House Republicans leave for the Trump administration on Jan. 20, and special elections are expected in April.

One "no" vote from a Republican can derail any legislation without Democratic support.

The Trump transition team and the House Freedom Caucus were contacted by Planet Chronicle Digital for comment.

by Elizabeth Elkind

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