President Donald Trump is pushing for Congress to pass the fiscal year 2026 budget bill before lawmakers go on Independence Day recess next week. However, complications with the bill might keep lawmakers at the Capitol longer than planned.
Trump, in a Truth Social post, called on Senators to stay in Washington, D.C., until the bill is passed. “To my friends in the Senate, lock yourself in a room if you must, [but] don’t go home,” Trump urged. “Get the deal done this week. Work with the House so they can pass it immediately. No one goes on vacation until it’s done.”
The president’s comments came just before he boarded Air Force One for a trip to The Hague to attend the 2025 NATO Summit.
House Speaker’s Efforts to Move the Budget Bill
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., convened a closed-door meeting with GOP members on Tuesday morning, where he suggested that the Senate could pass the reconciliation budget bill by the end of the week.
He advised House members to keep their calendars flexible in order to pass the bill as soon as possible.
“The Senate is working on the reconciliation budget bill that would negate a potential filibuster and enable its passage,” Johnson said. “If the Senate does its work on the timeline we expect, we will do our work, as well.”
The reconciliation bill would allow the budget to pass with a simple majority, bypassing the need for 60 votes, which is typically required to overcome a filibuster in the Senate.
Challenges with the Reconciliation Bill
Despite efforts to keep the process moving forward, the Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough raised concerns about certain provisions in the fiscal year 2026 budget.
MacDonough determined that several provisions in the bill violated Senate rules and would require revisions before they could be included in the final version.
Among the provisions she rejected were those relating to offshore oil and gas leases. MacDonough stated that declaring these projects to be automatically compliant with the National Environmental Policy Act would bypass the necessary reviews, which is a violation of Senate procedures.
Another provision she dismissed was one allowing the Interior Secretary to approve the construction of a 211-mile road in northern Alaska, meant to facilitate the development of large and small mines. MacDonough argued that this provision would require 60 votes to pass, rather than a simple majority.
MacDonough also rejected the bill’s mandate to sell public lands. The bill proposed the sale of up to 3.3 million acres of federal land, but MacDonough ruled that the proposal violated Senate rules and must either be removed or rewritten to comply.
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Opposition to Selling Public Lands
The proposed sale of millions of acres of public lands has drawn significant opposition from environmental groups. Tracy Stone-Manning, president of the Wilderness Society, condemned the measure, saying, “Public lands belong in public hands, for current and future generations alike.
We trust the next politician who wants to sell off public lands will remember that people of all stripes will stand against that idea. Our public lands are not for sale.”
Stone-Manning’s statement reflects the broader concern among environmentalists and conservationists who argue that such sales would compromise the nation’s natural resources for future generations.
What’s Next for the Budget Bill?
The fiscal year 2026 budget bill remains in flux as it continues to face scrutiny and revisions in the Senate. While Senator MacDonough works to address the rule violations, the bill’s potential passage could be delayed further if more provisions need to be amended.
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As Trump’s July 4th deadline looms, the pressure to pass the bill intensifies. Lawmakers will need to navigate these challenges carefully in order to meet the timeline, which could impact their planned recess next week.
What Do You Think?
Do you think the proposed provisions in the budget bill, particularly the sale of public lands and the offshore oil and gas lease measures, should be included? How should Congress balance environmental concerns with fiscal policy? Share your thoughts in the comments below on RidgecrestPact.org.
