US Congress failed to pass a crucial budget resolution on Wednesday, delaying President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax cut proposals. Internal disagreements among Republicans, particularly House conservatives demanding deeper spending cuts, forced leadership to cancel the vote.
The delay threatens Trump’s broader agenda, including border security and energy plans, while exposing tensions within the GOP’s slim House majority. Despite controlling both the House and Senate, Republicans could not unite behind a common plan.
Fiscal conservatives in the House opposed the version passed by the Senate on Saturday, saying it lacked sufficient spending cuts. Without an identical resolution from both chambers, the broader tax and spending agenda cannot move forward.
Speaker Mike Johnson, who was confident the bill would pass, acknowledged the lack of consensus from his narrow 220–213 majority. “I don’t think we’re going to have a vote tonight… maybe we take a little more time,” he told reporters.
The failed vote was a blow to Trump, who had personally met around two dozen doubtful House members at the White House on Tuesday to convince them to support his “one big beautiful bill.” While Trump promised deeper spending reductions, the internal GOP divisions remained.
Speaking at the National Republican Congressional Committee’s annual dinner a day earlier, Trump urged dissenting lawmakers to support the bill, saying, “You have to get there.”
The House version of the resolution proposed $1.5 trillion in cuts and raised the borrowing limit by $4 trillion. In contrast, the Senate version allowed only $4 billion in reductions and a $5 trillion debt ceiling increase. House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington criticised the Senate’s approach, calling it “unserious and disappointing.”
The Senate passed the bill early Saturday in a close 51-48 vote, mostly along party lines.