Key facts
- A Republican-controlled House committee unveiled a $95 billion spending package.
- The package includes $73 billion for defense and intelligence operations over 10 years.
- $10 billion is allocated to incentivize states to implement portions of Trump's SAVE America Act voter ID legislation.
- $12 billion is designated for agriculture programs.
- House leaders aim to pass the budget resolution next week and use reconciliation to bypass Senate opposition.
House Republicans have unveiled a $95 billion spending package that includes funding for defense, intelligence, and agriculture, alongside incentives for states to adopt aspects of Donald Trump's SAVE America Act voter ID legislation. The House approved the measure, which aims to bypass Senate opposition through budget reconciliation.
The 47-page budget resolution proposes $73 billion for defense and intelligence over 10 years, $10 billion for voter ID initiatives, and $12 billion for agriculture programs. House leaders plan to pass the resolution and then use reconciliation to circumvent potential Democratic obstruction in the Senate.
Previously, hardline House Republicans, led by Representative Anna Paulina Luna, had blocked defense bills, demanding the inclusion of Trump's voter ID legislation. Speaker Mike Johnson's strategy to merge the Save America Act with appropriations measures is intended to overcome this internal party resistance.
The SAVE America Act mandates photo identification for federal elections and proof of U.S. citizenship for registration, while requiring states to submit voter registration rolls to the federal government. Trump also advocates for eliminating universal mail-in voting. Democrats and voting rights groups oppose the legislation, arguing it could disenfranchise voters and that noncitizen voting is rare.