Ron Johnson Set to Take Budget Gavel as GOP Pushes Spending and Voting Bill
Ron Johnson is set to become chair of the Senate Budget Committee after the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, giving the Wisconsin Republican a larger role in one of the most consequential fights left on the congressional calendar.
Johnson’s office said he supports drafting and passing a third reconciliation package and will work with Senate, House and White House officials to determine what can be included. Johnson has also said he is working with Wisconsin Republican Rep. Bryan Steil on a path for the SAVE America Act through the budget process.
The issue matters because reconciliation bills can pass the Senate without clearing the usual 60 vote threshold. That makes the Budget Committee chairmanship especially important when one party is trying to move spending, tax or policy priorities without Democratic votes.
House Republicans have unveiled a $95 billion blueprint that includes $60 billion for defense, $13 billion for intelligence, $12 billion for agriculture and $10 billion to encourage states to adopt parts of Trump’s voting proposal. Reuters reported the House Budget Committee is considering the 47 page resolution, but the measure faces uncertainty in both chambers.
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The Republican coalition is not unified. Axios reported that some House conservatives object to the lack of offsets, while some Senate Republicans have warned that fuller SAVE Act language may not survive reconciliation rules. Johnson has also signaled that Senate Republicans may insist on at least some offsets.
Democrats are treating the fight as an election law issue. Hakeem Jeffries argued Republicans were prioritizing voting restrictions over housing costs, while Mark Warner accused Trump of undermining election administration. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, meanwhile, criticized Senate Republicans on social media for failing to move the Save America Act.
The next test is whether House Republicans can pass the blueprint and whether Johnson, once formally holding the gavel, can turn Graham’s unfinished reconciliation strategy into a Senate viable package.
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