Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., defied expectations and kept his fractured conference together to pass several priority items before House members jetted home on Thursday to kick off a five-week recess.
But how much of that legislation their colleagues in the Senate will take up is a different question, as divisions continue to deepen.
The House adopted a GOP-backed budget resolution along party lines on Wednesday, taking the first step toward passing a $95 billion reconciliation package that’s focused mostly on the Iran war.
But Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. has remained lukewarm on such a package, especially if it includes certain aspects of the so-called SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo ID at the polls.
“I can’t count 50 right now on a budget resolution,” Thune told reporters on Thursday. He said the path to clearing the chamber’s so-called Byrd bath, which assesses compliance with reconciliation rules, “is still an open question.”
