House approves framework for Trump budget

Members in the House of Representatives barely passed a budget outline for President Donald Trump’s financial goals on Thursday with a 216-214 vote. The Senate approved the measure last Friday with a 51-48 vote, and now the bill will move to the Resolute desk in the Oval Office for Trump’s final approval. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson originally planned the vote for Wednesday but delayed it to win over more GOP support. Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., were the only Republicans to vote against party lines.

What made Republicans change their minds and pass the bill? Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., assured GOP holdouts that the Senate would secure a minimum of $1.5 trillion in savings when drafting the new budget, Politico reported. Approving an outline tailored to Trump’s goals will open the doors for funding his administration's priorities around border security, energy, and expanding tax cuts.

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno’s report for more background on the GOP’s budget proposal.