The budget blueprint would direct $73 billion to defense and intelligence, $10 billion to election-integrity initiatives and $12 billion to agricultural assistance while allowing Republicans to bypass a Senate filibuster.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
House Republicans released a $95 billion budget blueprint July 15 that would begin the process of passing a third reconciliation bill focused on defense, election integrity and assistance for farmers.
The resolution calls for allocating $73 billion to defense and intelligence programs amid the war with Iran, $10 billion to help states implement voter identification requirements and $12 billion in farm aid.
Republicans are seeking to use reconciliation because the process allows legislation involving federal taxes, spending and debt to clear the Senate with a simple majority rather than the 60 votes typically required to overcome a filibuster.
Both the House and Senate must first approve identical budget resolutions before committees can begin writing the reconciliation bill. A budget resolution also requires 51 votes to pass the Senate.
The House Budget Committee is scheduled to consider and amend the resolution July 16. A full House vote has not been formally scheduled, although House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said the chamber could take up the measure next week before lawmakers leave Washington for a five-week district work period.
The budget instructions direct the House Armed Services, Administration, Intelligence and Agriculture committees to develop legislation within their respective jurisdictions.
The proposal does not identify spending reductions, revenue increases or other offsets to cover its $95 billion cost, a feature that could draw objections from fiscally conservative Republicans.
A central goal of the package is to advance provisions from the SAVE America Act, an election bill that would require voters to present photo identification in federal elections and require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote.
The House has already passed the legislation, but it remains stalled in the Senate because all Democrats oppose it and Republicans do not have the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.
Republicans are therefore seeking to move as much of the proposal as possible through reconciliation.
The election provisions could still face a significant procedural obstacle in the Senate.
Under reconciliation rules, provisions must have a direct effect on federal spending, revenue or the debt limit. Policy provisions whose budgetary effects are considered secondary may be removed following a ruling by the Senate parliamentarian.
The SAVE America Act’s voter identification and citizenship requirements may not satisfy those rules and could be stripped from the bill if the legislation reaches the Senate.
The resolution would also provide additional military funding as the United States continues operations connected to the Iran war.
The Trump administration asked Congress last month for $67 billion to replenish the Pentagon after the conflict. The new House blueprint proposes $73 billion for defense and intelligence, exceeding that earlier request but falling well below the broader $350 billion reconciliation package President Donald Trump publicly urged Congress to pursue.
“I am calling on House and Senate Leadership to make this their Number One Priority, and ensure that 350 Billion Dollars in [Reconciliation] 3.0 moves out of the Budget Committee as soon as Congress is back in session,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on July 7.
“The SAVE AMERICA ACT, which everyone is asking for, paired with the full funding of our Great Department of War, can be passed very quickly, ensuring that the United States of America stays FREE for Generations to come.”
Republicans have passed two reconciliation bills during the current Congress.
The first was the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which made the 2017 tax cuts permanent and provided funding for border security and other Republican priorities.
The second, passed last month, funded Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol after Democrats declined to support additional money for the agencies following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis by immigration officers.
Trump has urged congressional Republicans to make a third reconciliation package their highest legislative priority.
Johnson accused Democrats of obstructing both election legislation and military funding.
“Congressional Democrats continue OBSTRUCTING our attempts to secure our elections and fund our men and women in uniform,” Johnson said in a written statement. “Not any longer.”
Johnson praised House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, and other committee members for moving quickly to advance the resolution and open the third reconciliation process of the current Congress.
Even if the House passes the resolution next week, the legislation could take months to complete.
The House and Senate must agree on identical language before committees can draft the final package. Much of that work could occur after lawmakers return from their August recess, placing negotiations in the middle of the fall election campaign.
Democrats are expected to overwhelmingly oppose the final bill and could force Republicans to vote on numerous politically difficult amendments during Senate consideration.
Republicans will also need to maintain near-total unity because their narrow congressional majorities leave little room for defections.
Farm aid is expected to be one of the package’s most politically important components.
The proposal would provide $12 billion for agricultural producers facing higher gasoline and fertilizer costs, along with retaliatory tariffs that have affected farm exports.
Additional assistance has become an election-year priority for lawmakers representing rural districts and states where agriculture remains a major part of the economy.
The $10 billion election-integrity allocation would help states implement voter identification requirements and related election administration changes.
Republicans argue that photo identification and citizenship verification are necessary to strengthen confidence in federal elections. Democrats oppose the SAVE America Act and are expected to challenge efforts to place its provisions in a budget-focused reconciliation bill.
The $73 billion defense and intelligence allocation would provide most of the package’s funding as the administration seeks to restore weapons, equipment and other military resources used during the Iran conflict.
The House Budget Committee’s July 16 markup will provide the first major test of whether Republicans can unite around the $95 billion framework despite concerns about its lack of offsets and the likelihood that election provisions will face procedural challenges in the Senate.
If both chambers ultimately approve the same resolution, the four House committees named in the instructions would begin drafting the detailed legislation.
The final package could change substantially as lawmakers negotiate defense priorities, farm assistance, election provisions and compliance with Senate reconciliation rules.
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