Rep. Josh Brecheen talks reconciliation bill

The Republican-led 119th Congress has made it a high priority to enact President Donald Trump’s America First agenda as quickly as possible.

Because the measures Republicans hope to implement are, for the most part, highly partisan, House and Senate leaders are attempting to use a legislative process known as budget reconciliation, which allows for passage with simple majorities, including in the Senate, where a super majority (60 votes) is typically needed to overcome a filibuster. The critical first step in unlocking the reconciliation process is the passage of a budget resolution, which serves as a blueprint for the overall bill. The House passed its budget resolution in February. The Senate has yet to pass its resolution.

On Wednesday, Griffin Media's Alex Cameron spoke with Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-OK2), a member of the House Budget Committee, about the status of efforts to complete work on a joint budget resolution and move the process forward.

Alex: Congressman Brecheen, you guys have put the government funding crisis behind you. What’s the status now of the big reconciliation bill?

Brecheen: “I had a conversation with the Speaker just two days ago, there is a group of us that are really asking the Speaker— he’s got a delicate nature, he’s got to walk with the Senate, he has to keep a good relationship, of course with (Majority Leader) Senator Thune, but some of us are chomping at the bit, especially the Budget Committee to help craft the one, big, beautiful bill, to start putting the meat on the bones, and to unleash the committees to be able to start accomplishing that…and so it wasn’t just me, I’m there in this little group representing the Freedom Caucus. But from a wide spectrum from the conference, ‘Mr. Speaker, let’s get started’, while we are waiting on the Senate—they’ve not passed it out of committee, they’ve not passed it off of the floor like we have, let’s even take the reconciliation instructions and get to work on the committee function of bringing the details into fruition.”

“Part of this, this reconciliation instruction, is to gut the $1 trillion over 10-year expense of the Inflation Reduction Act that the Democrats put in place under reconciliation when they had control. What we’re saying is, if we don’t reverse this now, not only do we lose the opportunity— a once in a lifetime opportunity— to reverse this climate alarmist ideology that will undermine unleashing energy dominance, but it’s also going to make a $1 trillion hit to the taxpayer over this needle we have to thread, $1 trillion…and so we’re looking for about $2 trillion in trade-off of deficit reduction to be able to to be able to extend to permanency the TCJA (2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act). It’s sizable — just the IRA is $1 trillion of that.”

Alex: What about the Republicans who like, or whose constituents like, some of the green energy tax credits in the IRA?

Brecheen: “I think generally people believe and agree that we have to unleash energy dominance, but this is where finessing the details of you’ve got different interests out there (comes into play)…and my appeal to them, as a friend, is you’ve got to put what’s in the best interest of the country. If we wanna get back to energy dominance long-term — not just short term, but long-term — we’ve got to unwind what the Democrats put in the IRA…So, some of us are putting pressure on the Speaker, saying, Mr. Speaker, please do what you can; if we need to help on the outside, let us start the process, the Senate is not moving. Now, keep in mind, the Senate had nominations…the Senate had to confirm nominees — that took up a significant amount of calendar time. We’ve had an advantage in the House, and so we’re just subtly trying to appeal through our Speaker, ‘if you can find a tactful way to say to the Senate, please don’t be offended, but we need to move ahead and we’re not trying to run over you…give us the opportunity now, since we started this, to be the group that takes it further down the field, the inertia is on our side.”