Fresh out of Barnard College with a degree in political science, Riley is a writer and reporter for GZERO. When she isn’t writing about global politics, you can find her making GZERO’s crossword puzzles, conducting research on American politics, or persisting in her lifelong quest to learn French. Riley spends her time outside of work grilling, dancing, and wearing many hats (both literally and figuratively).
The US House narrowly passed the Senate-approved budget blueprint Thursday, by a vote of 216-214. The vote unleashes the power to sidestep filibusters and deliver a funding bill to the president’s desk this summer.
The tight margin was secured through a mix of White House pressure and a public commitment from Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who appeased budget hawks by pledging to cut at least $1.5 trillion in the final legislation.
What now? This is just a rough sketch – lawmakers must now decide what specific items will, and won’t, make it into the final bill.
According to the agreed-upon framework, Republicans can boost military spending by $150 billion and add $175 billion for border security and immigration enforcement.
The brewing battle: How to find the $1.5 trillion in cuts that were promised to conservative hardliners. It’s a target that appears virtually impossible to hit without touching Medicaid or other entitlement benefits, moves that would be deeply unpopular among a large majority of Americans.
