Mike Johnson Doesn’t Have the Votes for the Senate’s Budget. Can He Get Them?

The speaker is working to convince fiscal hawks to support the budget framework again. Lawmakers are ready to start crafting the bill.

Mike Johnson

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson joined by Majority Whip Tom Emmer pauses before meeting with reporters. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Speaker Mike Johnson wants to adopt the Senate’s budget this week so lawmakers can get started on a reconciliation bill for President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda.

He doesn’t have the votes — yet.

This week marks the second time Johnson has tried to rally his conference behind a budget resolution. Senate Republicans adopted the latest iteration along party lines over the weekend. But the upper chamber’s measure contains key differences with the resolution Johnson narrowly ushered through the House in February.