Trump budget plan faces pushback from his most loyal conservative allies
Eric Burlison, a Republican US representative from Missouri's 7th Congressional District (Photo: Getty Images)
Some of Donald Trump’s most steadfast allies in Congress are refusing to back the budget proposal he supports, citing concerns about the growing national debt, reports The New York Times.
Despite their unwavering loyalty to the president, a group of hard-line Republicans in the House is resisting a budget resolution crucial for advancing Trump’s proposed tax cuts and spending plans.
Among them is Representative Eric Burlison from Missouri, who stated bluntly, "I can’t live with myself if I go back home and I added more debt and deficits without any kind of correction whatsoever."
Burlison, a financial analyst and advocate of a balanced budget amendment, campaigned on reducing federal debt and says the current proposal falls short of that goal.
Their main concern is that the resolution only demands around $4 billion in cuts over the next decade — a figure far below the $2 trillion in reductions previously approved by the House.
These Republicans fear the Senate’s more lenient approach will dilute their fiscal goals. Speaker Mike Johnson and other GOP leaders argue that the lower figure is a procedural move to comply with Senate rules, but many in the Freedom Caucus remain unconvinced.
Budget 'gimmicks' draw sharp criticism
The proposal also includes extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, which Senate Republicans claim won’t add to the deficit since it maintains existing policy.
Critics in the House, however, see this as a deceptive maneuver. "The American people want and expect results, not more fiscal trickery," said Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee.
Representative Jodey Arrington, who chairs the Budget Committee, added, "Unserious and disappointing."
David Schweikert of Arizona went even further, warning against "more business as usual at a time when that’s exactly what we’re trying to avoid."
Trump met with a dozen House Republicans this week to rally support, urging them to "close your eyes and get there," calling the proposal "a phenomenal bill."
But lawmakers like Representative Andy Harris of Maryland were unmoved. "He’s just not going to change my mind," Harris said after declining Trump’s invitation to the White House.
The showdown mirrors previous clashes, such as last December, when dozens of Republicans defied Trump’s push for a spending deal tied to the debt ceiling.
Despite the pressure, some fiscal hawks, including Representative Chip Roy of Texas, remain unconvinced. "The math still doesn’t math," Roy said after attending the latest meeting.
