For the first time since January 2018, House Republicans on Tuesday passed a government-wide funding bill without needing help from Democrats. And a day after the vote, members are suggesting there’s one man to thank: President Donald Trump.
While Speaker Mike Johnson and his leadership team came up with much of the partisan funding plan and held the conference in line, GOP leaders heavily relied on Trump to get Republicans in line. The president made phone calls, dispatched his staff, twisted arms and even played a previously unknown role in drafting the legislation.
Johnson’s team started working with the White House on the funding measure in late January, two sources with direct knowledge of the talks told NOTUS. The sources said Trump and his team recommended a handful of the “anomalies” in the bill. And it was the White House’s recommendations that resulted in an $8 billion reduction in current funding — a key to winning over conservatives who were resistant to just extending current spending.