Latest news with #LloydSmucker
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Smucker, House Republicans move forward Trump's ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act'
(WHTM) — House Republicans are back on track and have advanced the president's budget plan. Late Sunday night, the House Budget Committee voted on party lines to approve the plan, known as the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act.' Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The measure failed to pass out of committee Friday when four Republicans voted against it for not cutting enough spending. Midstate Congressman Lloyd Smucker is vice chair of the committee and supports the bill. He voted against it in a procedural move last week but says he supports the president's plan. 'We're a deliberative body, we're legislature,' Smucker said. 'So it takes time to bring together all the different views within our conference. We're going to get no help from Democrats here.' Democrats slammed the bill, saying it cuts health care coverage while extending tax breaks for the wealthy. Smucker says he's confident the bill will quickly move to the Senate and the president. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sunday shows preview: GOP divide derails Trump agenda; Biden's mental acuity back in spotlight
House Republicans will reconvene on Sunday evening to find a path to pass President Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' after encountering a hurdle during a key vote on Friday. Five fiscal hawks, arguing that the legislation insufficiently addressed work requirements for Medicaid and the federal deficit, blocked the measure from making it out of the House Budget Committee. The final vote tally was 16-21. The GOP lawmakers who voted against pushing forward the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' (OBBB) include: Reps. Chip Roy (Texas), Ralph Norman (S.C.), Josh Brecheen (Okla.) and Andrew Clyde (Ga.). Rep. Lloyd Smucker (Pa.) initially voted for the bill, but flipped to a no in a procedural move. 'To be clear — I fully support the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB),' Smucker said Friday after the vote. 'My vote today in the Budget Committee is a procedural requirement to preserve the committee's opportunity to reconsider the motion to advance OBBB.' House Republican leadership is racing to pass the bill with a self-imposed Memorial Day deadline. 'This bill falls profoundly short. It does not do what we say it does with respect to deficits,' Roy, one of the dissenters, said on Friday. Additionally, House Republicans in blue states signaled that they might not back the final version of the legislation if the state and local tax (SALT) deduction does not increasingly significantly, something that fiscal hawks are not supportive of. Even after squeezing the legislation through the lower chamber, Republicans could have difficulties getting the measure passed on the Senate side. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) hammered the bill, saying it is a 'slap in the face' that will add trillions of dollars to the national debt. 'The problem is it's asking conservatives, like myself, to raise the debt ceiling $5 trillion. That's historic. No one's ever raised the debt ceiling that much,' Paul told Fox News's Ainsley Earhardt on Thursday. The Kentucky senator is set to appear on ABC's 'This Week' where he will likely discuss the pending legislation in the House chamber. Democrats are facing different headaches as questions around former President Biden's mental acuity are back in the spotlight. Excerpts from the new book 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,' by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios's Alex Thompson, published in various outlets this week, detail Biden's inner circle ignoring the former president vulnerabilities and taking steps to bar even some of his staff from seeing his shortcomings. One excerpt, which was obtained by The Guardian, revealed that one ex-senior Biden aide told the book's authors that 'we attempted to shield him from his own staff so many people didn't realize the extent of the decline beginning in 2023.' Another excerpt, which was revealed by Tapper on CNN, said that Biden's top aides iced out Cabinet members during the second half of his Oval Office term. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who was a 2024 Biden campaign surrogate, said this week that it is 'obvious now' Biden 'was not in a condition' to run for reelection and that the party has to admit it made a 'mistake.' Khanna is scheduled to be on ABC's 'This Week' where he will likely discuss what the Democratic Party needs to do to rebound from losses in the 2024 election. Meanwhile, this week, President Trump, during his trip to the Middle East, defended his decision to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jet from the Qatari royal family. 'I just want to say, it was a radical left story. The people here, to show you how crazy it is, they would like me to pay a billion dollars,' Trump said in an interview with Fox News' Bret Baier. The plane is intended to be delivered to the Department of Defense and would eventually replace the aging Air Force One, which has been in service for over three decades. 'This goes to the United States Air Force for whoever is president, and at some point, it'll be like Ronald Reagan. It'll be decommissioned, because they won't want it,' Trump said. The gift, which Trump characterized as a 'good deal,' has raised security and ethical questions from Democrats and Republicans alike, which are likely to be discussed on Sunday's programs. Former Vice President Pence questioned the move in a clip from his Sunday interview with NBC's 'Meet The Press.' NewsNation's 'The Hill Sunday': Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont); Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.) ABC's 'This Week': Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.); Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) NBC's 'Meet the Press': Former Vice President Pence; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent; Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) CNN's 'State of the Union': Bessent; Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) CBS' 'Face the Nation': Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.); former Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Fox News' 'Fox News Sunday': Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.); House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.); U.S. special envoy for hostage response Adam Boehler. Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures': Trump Media CEO Devin Nunes; FBI director Kash Patel; FBI deputy director Dan Bongino Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump prepares to step into messy fight over GOP tax bill
President Trump is returning from a Middle East trip where he was feted by foreign leaders to find his legislative agenda on shaky ground on Capitol Hill. Republican lawmakers are squabbling over the details of the massive reconciliation package that contains key pieces of Trump's agenda on taxes, border funding and spending. On Friday, four conservative lawmakers tanked a key committee vote, stalling the legislation and leaving a slew of the president's campaign promises in limbo. White House officials and Republicans signaled Trump is expected to ramp up his engagement with members this week, working the phones and getting more directly involved to try and get the party in line before disagreements sink the president's 'big, beautiful bill.' His involvement, some suggested, will be necessary given the fractious nature of the GOP conference. 'The president weighing in is always helpful here, and we're trying to work with the administration to ensure that we pass his agenda as well as… to make good on the mandate the American people have given us in the election,' said Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.), who voted against advancing the reconciliation package on Friday on procedural grounds but said he supports the bill. The president is in regular contact with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), and he and senior White House officials are expected to continue their outreach to lawmakers over the weekend and into next week. The megabill encompassing Trump's agenda, titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, would extend the tax cuts Trump signed in 2017 that are set to expire later this year, as well as deliver on campaign promises to eliminate taxes on tipped wages and overtime pay. It also includes reforms to Medicaid and food aid programs that Republicans project will save at least $1.5 trillion over the course of a decade. While House committees completed marathon markups on major areas of the bill in recent days, there are still simmering disagreements that threaten the bill's passage in the full chamber. Moderate Republicans from high-tax blue states want an increase of the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap — currently written as $30,000 in the legislation. But to make up for that, fiscal hawks want changes to the bill to get more savings elsewhere. Some Republicans have also raised concerns about changes to Medicaid that would cause people to lose health coverage. The tricky balancing act has increased the pressure not just on Republican leadership, but on Trump to pressure and persuade members of his party to back the signature legislation for his second term agenda. 'Given the narrow majority in the House and serious disagreements within the conference, and differences with the Senate, passing anything will take a direct, hands-on approach from the president himself,' said one Republican strategist. Trump on Friday posted on Truth Social as he flew back from the United Arab Emirates that Republicans 'MUST UNITE behind, 'THE ONE, BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL!'' He admonished 'grandstanders' in the GOP. 'STOP TALKING, AND GET IT DONE!' Trump posted. Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), one of the four GOP members who sunk the budget vote on the reconciliation bill on Friday, pushed back on the suggestion that he was grandstanding. 'This is: how do you disagree with the agenda he laid out? He's a smart guy, and he's got so many good things [in the bill],' Normal told reporters. 'All we're asking is a little compromise somewhere. Let's not give the farm. It's not right. It's not right.' Trump has previously tried similar tactics, using his social media megaphone to target House GOP rebels like Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), even suggesting they face primary challenges. But those individuals have shown they are largely unmoved by social media threats. The president has in the past also used private outreach, including over the phone to lawmakers on the fence and hosting members at the White House to discuss how to move forward. Trump has at times appeared reluctant to firmly weigh in on specific policy details of the reconciliation bill. He recently offered mixed signals over the concept of increasing taxes on the wealthiest Americans to help pay for the legislation and satisfy conservatives worried about adding to the debt. But as the reconciliation package faces more hurdles before getting to his desk, Trump is expected to balance his public comments with private outreach to lawmakers in the days and weeks ahead. 'The White House will continue to have conversations over the weekend strongly urging House Members to seize the generational opportunity before them and vote YES on this historic legislation to fix the mess Joe Biden created,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. 'The White House expects ALL Republicans to vote for this bill and successfully pass it through Committee in the near future.' Emily Brooks and Mike Lillis contributed reporting Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
17-05-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Trump prepares to step into messy fight over GOP tax bill
President Trump is returning from a Middle East trip where he was feted by foreign leaders to find his legislative agenda on shaky ground on Capitol Hill. Republican lawmakers are squabbling over the details of the massive reconciliation package that contains key pieces of Trump's agenda on taxes, border funding and spending. On Friday, four conservative lawmakers tanked a key committee vote, stalling the legislation and leaving a slew of the president's campaign promises in limbo. White House officials and Republicans signaled Trump is expected to ramp up his engagement with members this week, working the phones and getting more directly involved to try and get the party in line before disagreements sink the president's 'big, beautiful bill.' His involvement, some suggested, will be necessary given the fractious nature of the GOP conference. 'The president weighing in is always helpful here, and we're trying to work with the administration to ensure that we pass his agenda as well as… to make good on the mandate the American people have given us in the election,' said Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.), who voted against advancing the reconciliation package on Friday on procedural grounds but said he supports the bill. The president is in regular contact with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), and he and senior White House officials are expected to continue their outreach to lawmakers over the weekend and into next week. The megabill encompassing Trump's agenda, titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, would extend the tax cuts Trump signed in 2017 that are set to expire later this year, as well as deliver on campaign promises to eliminate taxes on tipped wages and overtime pay. It also includes reforms to Medicaid and food aid programs that Republicans project will save at least $1.5 trillion over the course of a decade. While House committees completed marathon markups on major areas of the bill in recent days, there are still simmering disagreements that threaten the bill's passage in the full chamber. Moderate Republicans from high-tax blue states want an increase of the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap — currently written as $30,000 in the legislation. But to make up for that, fiscal hawks want changes to the bill to get more savings elsewhere. Some Republicans have also raised concerns about changes to Medicaid that would cause people to lose health coverage. The tricky balancing act has increased the pressure not just on Republican leadership, but on Trump to pressure and persuade members of his party to back the signature legislation for his second term agenda. 'Given the narrow majority in the House and serious disagreements within the conference, and differences with the Senate, passing anything will take a direct, hands-on approach from the president himself,' said one Republican strategist. Trump on Friday posted on Truth Social as he flew back from the United Arab Emirates that Republicans 'MUST UNITE behind, 'THE ONE, BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL!'' He admonished 'grandstanders' in the GOP. 'STOP TALKING, AND GET IT DONE!' Trump posted. Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), one of the four GOP members who sunk the budget vote on the reconciliation bill on Friday, pushed back on the suggestion that he was grandstanding. 'This is: how do you disagree with the agenda he laid out? He's a smart guy, and he's got so many good things [in the bill],' Normal told reporters. 'All we're asking is a little compromise somewhere. Let's not give the farm. It's not right. It's not right.' Trump has previously tried similar tactics, using his social media megaphone to target House GOP rebels like Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), even suggesting they face primary challenges. But those individuals have shown they are largely unmoved by social media threats. The president has in the past also used private outreach, including over the phone to lawmakers on the fence and hosting members at the White House to discuss how to move forward. Trump has at times appeared reluctant to firmly weigh in on specific policy details of the reconciliation bill. He recently offered mixed signals over the concept of increasing taxes on the wealthiest Americans to help pay for the legislation and satisfy conservatives worried about adding to the debt. But as the reconciliation package faces more hurdles before getting to his desk, Trump is expected to balance his public comments with private outreach to lawmakers in the days and weeks ahead. 'The White House will continue to have conversations over the weekend strongly urging House Members to seize the generational opportunity before them and vote YES on this historic legislation to fix the mess Joe Biden created,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. 'The White House expects ALL Republicans to vote for this bill and successfully pass it through Committee in the near future.' Emily Brooks and Mike Lillis contributed reporting
Fox News
16-05-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Rep. Chip Roy On How to Get To Yes On 'The Big Beautiful Bill'
The House Budget Committee voted against advancing the GOP's party-line tax and spending package Friday. The panel rejected the bill, 21-16, with five Republicans joining all Democrats in opposition. Five Republicans voted no: Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.), Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) and Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.). Republicans could only afford to lose two of their members and still advance the legislation. Smucker changed his vote from yes to no in a procedural move. Rep. Chip Roy spoke to Guy Benson right after the vote and explained what he thinks they can do to get to a YES on the 'Big Beautiful Bill'. Listen Below:
