Republicans haven't even assumed unified control of Congress yet, and are already arguing over how they want to proceed in passing Donald Trump's policy agenda, Politico reported Wednesday.
The problem fundamentally stems from whether they want to do Trump's tax plan first or his immigration priorities — and the fact that the GOP has a razor-thin majority, hindering its ability to advance the MAGA agenda.
The newly-elected Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) "sparked heartburn across the Capitol this week when he told GOP senators that the package, which under budget reconciliation rules would allow the GOP to bypass a Democratic filibuster, would be split into two parts. The first would focus on border and energy, with a goal to pass it in the first 30 days of the new Trump administration, and the second on tax," said the report.
While House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has endorsed this plan, "a number of House Republicans, including committee chairs key to pulling off the plan, are already raising red flags over the strategy, saying they don’t feel the need to stick to that."
ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Senate Dems consider whether Biden should ‘clear the slate’ and pardon Trump
Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX), who chairs the House Budget Committee, said of the plan, “Our members need to weigh in on that. This doesn’t need to be a decision that’s made upon high, okay? We’re all unified around the objectives, [but] how we roll it out, the tactics and strategies, still under discussion.”
Other members have expressed frustration that the Senate GOP doesn't appear to understand the precarious position the House GOP is in.
“They have a bigger majority in the Senate than we have in the House. And the problem is: Thune is managing his traditional Senate ideas, not realizing we have one or two votes to give on our side,” said Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ).
All of this comes as Trump has made the House majority temporarily even thinner by appointing House members to some positions in his administration.