Politics

John Thune Throws Shade At Mike Johnson, Says Reconciliation 3.0 Plan Is ‘ News To Me’

John Thune (Screenshot/Fox News)

Senate Majority Leader John Thune appeared skeptical Thursday of Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan to pass a third reconciliation package by the August recess.

A $95 billion budget reconciliation package advanced out of the House Budget Committee and was expected to reach the floor before the August recess. Thune expressed doubt about Johnson’s plan to get the package to President Donald Trump’s desk by the August recess.

When Johnson said both chambers would get it through by the recess, Thune told reporters that was “news to me.” The majority leader said he spoke to Johnson and suggested that House leadership knew their limitations.

“I think they know the limitations that we have,” Thune said.

Johnson appeared optimistic that the Senate could pass the package.

“We’re gonna send them a package that they can’t refuse. And so he’s waiting on that product and that’s understandable,” Johnson told reporters. “And I don’t tell him how to run the Senate. He doesn’t tell me how to run the House, but we do work together. And, I’m gonna make it easy for them to pass that reconciliation bill and get the Save America Act to the President’s desk.”

A Thune spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the majority leader and Johnson speak on a regular basis.

“Leader Thune met with Speaker Johnson this week and the two communicate frequently,” the spokesperson said.

Thune stated he could not guarantee the package would pass quickly, noting several Republican senators were skeptical.

“I have to be a realist,” Thune said, according to Punchbowl News. “I can’t make any guarantees over here.”

In the upper chamber, the package would first be sent to the Senate Budget Committee. The late Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, the former chair of the Budget Committee, passed away Saturday and the next chairman has yet to be announced. Republican Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson is expected to take over.

Funeral arrangements for Graham have not yet been arranged. Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to fill his seat until January.

The package includes $10 billion for the House Administration Committee to hand out grants to implement the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, $72 billion for the House Armed Services Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence to address the Iran war and $12 billion to aid struggling farmers. No spending cuts were included.

It is unclear whether the Senate parliamentarian would strip components of the SAVE America Act out of the package. Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis told reporters Wednesday that passing the SAVE America Act is a “waste of time” and threatened to stall the legislation if it reached the Senate.

Some senators expressed frustration that the package does not address affordability concerns, according to Punchbowl.

Vice President J.D. Vance visited the Capitol Wednesday and urged congressional Republicans to support the legislation. He stated that offsets were not included in the reconciliation package for “procedural reasons.”