Burlison Joins House Conservatives in Renewed Push for Fiscally Responsible Budget Deal

WASHINGTON-Thirty-one Members of the House Republican Conference, led by Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11) Vice Chair of the Budget Committee, are calling for Congress to pass reconciliation legislation that is "genuinely fiscally responsible." Failure to achieve the spending reduction targets outlined in the budget resolution will mean "the Ways and Means Committee's instruction must be lowered dollar-for-dollar to keep the reconciliation bill within the agreed limits."

The Members write: "We are fully committed to passing a reconciliation bill that achieves the objectives we all support, which include extending President Trump's tax cuts, growing our economy, securing our borders, unleashing American energy, and ensuring peace through strength."

The lawmakers continue, "We remain firmly committed to ensuring the bill is genuinely fiscally responsible. We reaffirm that our support depends, at minimum, on the bill's strict adherence to the House framework for instructions contained in the concurrent budget resolution (Section 4001 of H.Con.Res.14)."

The group expresses its appreciation for the Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Leader Scalie's commitments that no measure will be brought to the floor unless it fully meets the standards of the House framework for instructions contained in the concurrent budget resolution.

Signatories to the letter include Representatives: Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Lauren Boebert (CO-04), Josh Brecheen (OK-02), Tim Burchett (TN-02), Eric Burlison (MO-07), Michael Cloud (TX-27), Andrew Clyde (GA-09), Elijiah Crane (AZ-02), Brandon Gill (TX-26), Paul Gosar (AZ-09), Andy Harris (MD-01), Diana Harshbarger (TN-01), Clay Higgins (LA-03), Morgan Luttrell (TX-08), Richard McCormick (GA-07), Mary Miller (IL-15), Ralph Norman (SC-05), Jay Obernolte (CA-23), Andrew Ogles (TN-05), Robert Onder (MO-03), Scott Perry (PA-10), Chip Roy (TX-21), David Schweikert (AZ-01), Keith Self (TX-03), Lloyd Smucker (PA-11), Victoria Spartz (IN-05), Greg Steube (FL-17), Marlin Stutzman (IN-03), Tom Tiffany (WI-07), Beth Van Duyne (TX-24), and Ryan Zinke (MT-01).

READ THE FULL LETTER BELOW:

Dear Speaker Johnson and Leader Scalise,

We are fully committed to passing a reconciliation bill that achieves the objectives we all support, which include extending President Trump's tax cuts, growing our economy, securing our borders, unleashing American energy, and ensuring peace through strength.

Additionally, we remain firmly committed to ensuring the bill is genuinely fiscally responsible. We reaffirm that our support depends, at minimum, on the bill's strict adherence to the House framework for instructions contained in the concurrent budget resolution (Section 4001 of H.Con.Res.14). We also appreciate your assurance that no measure will be brought to the floor unless it fully meets this standard.

The Big Picture

America's fiscal path is unsustainable and worsening. The national debt has exceeded $36 trillion and is growing by nearly $2 trillion each year. Annual interest costs are on track to surpass $1 trillion, overtaking what we spend on Medicare or national defense. Federal outlays remain at record highs, and the recent strain in Treasury markets makes it clear that we can no longer count on historically low interest rates. We must move decisively to restore market confidence and put the budget on a sustainable path.

Minimum Criteria for Our Support

Under the House's framework, the reconciliation bill must not add to the deficit. The House budget resolution assumes that enacting President Trump's agenda, including extending the 2017 tax cuts, will generate $2.5 trillion in additional revenue through economic growth. This means that all additional tax cuts or increases in spending above this level must be offset. To fully extend and build upon the 2017 tax cuts, this means that the reconciliation bill must include at least $2 trillion in verifiable savings either through spending reductions or scaling back the size of the tax package. If savings fall short, the Ways and Means Committee's instruction must be lowered dollar-for-dollar to keep the reconciliation bill within the agreed limits.

In practice, the Ways and Means Committee's instruction may not exceed $2.5 trillion more than the debt reduction achieved by all other committees.

Deficit Reduction in Other Committees Maximum Ways and Means Instruction

$2.0 trillion $4.5 trillion

$1.5 trillion $4.0 trillion

$1.0 trillion $3.5 trillion

Critically, the deficit reduction target must be met with real, enforceable spending cuts - not budget gimmicks. The final bill must deliver structural reforms that strengthen long-term growth and produce long-term savings.

Bottom Line

A $2 trillion reduction in spending may sound substantial. However, it equals only 2.3 percent of projected federal outlays over the next decade and only reduces the rate of growth in spending. Even with those savings, annual spending is expected to grow from $7 trillion to $10 trillion over the next 10 years, and debt will exceed $50 trillion by 2035.

The House reconciliation instructions are binding. They set a floor for savings, not a ceiling. We must hold that line on fiscal discipline to put the country back on a sustainable path.

We are more committed than ever to making that happen.