Dueling Budgets
There may be a GOP trifecta in Washington, DC, but that hasn’t prevented the U.S. Senate and U.S. House from producing dueling budgets. Last week, the U.S. Senate passed its budget resolution by a vote of 52-48, and the U.S. House passed its version on Tuesday by a vote of 217-215. While both chambers are using a legislative tool known as “budget reconciliation instructions” to advance their priorities, the U.S. Senate has chosen to focus first on immigration, border security, and defense priorities while the U.S. House advanced a larger across-the-board approach. For either approach to achieve a legislative result, the two chambers will need to reconcile their differences to move forward.
Analysis and eternal perspective: We have been expecting and preparing for this situation. While there is currently one-party control in Washington, DC, that does not mean there is agreement on substance or even strategy. Far from it. In recent days, both House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune have been posturing for the upper hand tactically. Speaker Johnson’s preferred approach received a major boost when President Donald Trump expressed his preference for the “one big, beautiful bill”advanced by the U.S. House. Even so, it remains to be seen which approach—if either—will carry the day.
This story is part substance and part palace intrigue. As we’ve often discussed, we are instructed to be good stewards of all that is entrusted to us (Lk. 9:10). If you are an American citizen, that certainly includes how our self-governed system levies its tax-and-spend authority, and there is ample room for personal opinion on the best way to carry out that responsibility. Even so, much of the current debate is political posturing and palace intrigue. As you thoughtfully and faithfully participate in the civic process—including the expression of your informed opinion—do so with an aim to impact the substance rather than the prevailing drama.
Finally, there are many more twists and turns ahead on this legislative road. Stay expectant of them so as not to be dismayed when they inevitably arrive.
The following article originally appeared in Thann’s “The Equipped” Weekly Newsletter. For more information on Thann’s weekly email, click here.