Trump teases plans for his ‘Mega MAGA’ bill that could be the biggest in U.S. history

Newly elected President Donald Trump gave a preview of the enormous bill he wants to introduce as soon as he is sworn in in two weeks.

But his ambitious goal could face an uphill climb in a deeply divided Congress as Republicans hold slim majorities in both chambers.

The 78-year-old teased in a social media post that he wants the legislation to include a range of his priorities, from border security provisions to extending the 2017 tax cuts.

‘“We must secure our borders, unleash American energy, and renew Trump’s tax cuts, which were the largest in history, but we will make them even better,” he wrote.

‘NO TAX ON TIPS. IT WILL ALL COMPOSE TARIFFS, AND MUCH MORE, FROM COUNTRIES THAT HAVE TAKEN BENEFIT FROM THE US FOR YEARS,” he continued. The no-tax provision on tips was a promise he made during the campaign.

The president-elect will begin his second term in the White House on January 20, after the Republican Party-controlled 119th Congress convened on Friday.

But Republicans have very little room for error in their rowdy conference as they set out to advance Trump’s agenda. They have only a three-seat majority in the Senate and will temporarily have a virtually non-existent majority in the House of Representatives once the president-elect takes office.

“Republicans must unite and quickly achieve these historic victories for the American people. Be smart and strong and get this bill to my desk ASAP for signing,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump and Republican Party leaders want to pass their legislation using the shaky so-called budget reconciliation process.

It would allow them to pass a bill with a simple majority in both chambers and avoid the usual 60 votes in the Senate needed to avoid a filibuster.

But some Republican lawmakers also see a lone major bill as Republicans’ best chance to pass priorities by such a narrow margin in the House of Representatives.

The first glimpse of how challenging it will be for the Republican Party to overcome the power struggle came Friday with the re-election of House Speaker Mike Johnson.

He could only afford to lose one vote and be elected chairman as the Democrats remained united in opposition. Two Republican lawmakers had to reverse their votes to secure his victory after initially voting against him.

The US Capitol was covered in snow on Monday as lawmakers returned to certify the 2024 election, the top priority as Trump prepares to return to power in two weeks

Republicans had considered two separate budget reconciliation bills last month after scoring victories in both chambers.

Conservative Republicans, at the behest of the House Freedom Caucus chairman, sent a letter to congressional leadership in mid-December demanding that the first priority be a reconciliation bill that focuses on border security.

They argued that the second reconciliation bill should focus on addressing the expiring tax cuts from the tax law passed in 2017 under President Trump. Several provisions of that law will expire in early 2026.

But some Republicans in recent weeks have questioned the idea of ​​introducing two separate massive bills in one year.

House Republicans met in Maryland Saturday morning to discuss their path forward and boost efforts with Johnson signaling Trump’s preference for one piece of legislation.

Johnson also laid out the expected timeline this weekend. He said they aim to move forward with the reconciliation process in early February, but the entire effort could take several months.

Some Republican lawmakers have indicated that the passage of any government spending must be offset by other cuts as the U.S. faces a rising national debt.

The battle between Republicans in Congress could easily come down to what exactly they are willing to give up to implement their agenda, if they can even achieve compensation that some are likely to demand.

A key to the whole process is the increasing pressure Congress faces to raise the debt limit to prevent the government from defaulting on its bills.

While Republicans raised the debt limit three times during Trump’s first term, some conservative lawmakers have signaled they are unwilling to support the Republican Party’s action on the debt limit unless deep cuts occur.

Trump’s post about using tariffs to pay for ending the tip tax could also spark intraparty conflict.

During the campaign season, some Senate Republicans, including new Senate Majority Leader John Thune, objected to Trump’s widespread plan to impose tariffs.

They warned of retaliatory tariffs that could be imposed on U.S. products in response, as economists also signal that the costs of the tariffs would be passed on to U.S. consumers.

The use of reconciliation to pass legislation has been used with some frequency in recent years as political divisions have eroded bipartisanship in Congress.

President Biden and Democrats used the budget reconciliation process to pass the American Rescue Plan in 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022.

However, when they attempted to include immigration reform provisions to include legal residency for millions of immigrants in the reconciliation process, this attempt was rejected in late 2021 by the Senate parliamentarian, the impartial arbiter of Senate rules.