House Republicans on Wednesday passed a budget resolution in a 216-214 vote, setting the stage for a $95bn reconciliation bill that would fund the war with Iran, provide new aid to farmers, and attempt to impose nationwide voting restrictions. The measure advances under special Senate rules that bypass the filibuster, requiring only a simple majority to pass.
Two Republicans—Warren Davidson of Ohio and Thomas Massie of Kentucky—and independent Kevin Kiley of California joined all Democrats in opposition. The resolution authorizes the armed services committee to propose $60bn in spending through fiscal year 2036 and the intelligence committee an additional $13bn, totaling $73bn expected to fund military operations against Iran. The agriculture committee is allocated $12bn for measures to help farmers affected by the conflict and Trump's tariffs. The House administration committee is authorized $10bn, likely to attempt passage of the Save America Act, which would ban mail-in ballots and impose strict voter ID requirements.
Reconciliation constraints and political hurdles
However, reconciliation rules limit provisions to spending, revenue, and debt limit, making it probable that policy changes like the Save America Act will be stripped in the Senate. House Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged this, stating the goal is to pass as much of the act as possible. This is the third reconciliation attempt in Trump's second term, following the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and a measure funding deportation efforts.
Democrats criticized the proposal. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, "President Trump and Republicans in this House continue to act indifferent to the economic wellbeing of the American people... Republican extremists apparently have money for wars, but can't feed the poor."
Senate outlook and fiscal concerns
The House recesses until end of August, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated no urgency, saying he would "hold" the measure in case government funding negotiations break down before the September 30 deadline, potentially repurposing it for a stopgap funding measure. Some Senate Republicans object because the resolution does not meet the $1.5tn defense spending request for fiscal 2027, while others oppose the lack of offsets amid rising national debt.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reported the Iran conflict has cost $37.5bn so far, with the Trump administration requesting $88bn in supplemental funding, up to $67.1bn for the war. The budget resolution largely addresses this request.
