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April 14, 2025 Update
[New information bolded and italicized]After the Senate narrowly passed the Fiscal Year 2025 budget resolution on April 5, the House took up the measure last week. Hampered by his narrow Republican majority, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) discovered that many conservatives were not ready to vote “aye” and found the bill had too few budget cuts. Once again, President Donald Trump and his team came to the rescue, and the budget resolution was approved by a 216-214 vote on April 10, 2025.
Unfortunately for Sen. Johnson, the fiscal hawks could oust him from the speakership if he doesn’t follow through with his promise to stick with the House’s desired budget cuts.
The resolution is the starting gun for lawmakers in both chambers to work on drafting legislation laying out the specific tax and spending cuts they want to enact. Conservative House Republicans are wary of Senate Republicans who may not be willing to support too many budget cuts, including from Medicaid.
The budget resolution authorizes $150 billion more spending for the military; at the same time, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said he will propose that the defense budget should increase to $1 trillion in fiscal year 2026. On another issue that will be controversial in Congress, the Trump administration has launched negotiations with Iran dealing in major part with Iran’s nuclear weapons aspirations. Ironically, it was the first Trump administration that in 2018 abandoned a U.S. agreement with Iran that limited its nuclear activities.
Congress is in recess this week.
Tentative 2024 Congressional Recess Schedule*When noted that both the Senate and House are in session, the House and Senate schedules may diverge by a day or two* April 14 – April 25: Congressional Recess April 28 – May 23: Both Senate and House largely in session May 26: Memorial Day June 2 – June 27: Both Senate and House largely in session June 19: Juneteenth federal holiday July 4: Independence Day federal holiday July 7 – July 31: Both Senate and House largely in session August 4 – August 29: Congressional Recess September 1: Labor Day September 2 – September 19: Both Senate and House largely in session September 22 – September 26: Congressional Recess September 29 – November 7: Both Senate and House largely in session October 1 – November 7: Both Senate and House largely in session October 13: Columbus Day November 3 – November 7: Both Senate and House largely in session November 10 – November 14: Congressional Recess November 11: Veterans’ Day November 17- November 21: Both Senate and House in session November 24 – November 28: Congressional Recess November 27: Thanksgiving December 1- December 19: Both Senate and House largely in session December 19: Target Congressional adjournment |
