Senator Thom Tillis expresses skepticism over the House Republicans' ambitious new budget reconciliation plan and the inclusion of the SAVE America Act.
Senator Thom Tillis, R-N.C., voiced significant skepticism regarding the House Republicans' plan to pass a sprawling budget reconciliation package. While House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed confidence that both chambers could approve a budget blueprint before the August recess, Tillis labeled the current process an "exercise of futility." The proposed $95 billion framework aims to allocate $73 billion toward defense and intelligence funding while incorporating elements of the SAVE America Act. However, several Republicans, including Tillis, expressed concern over the lack of spending offsets to manage the national debt. Tillis noted that the complexity of layering the SAVE Act onto the budget might actually slow down other legislative priorities. The administration announced its support for the framework via an internal memo, urging Congress to pass the resolution without modification. Despite this backing, fiscal hawks like Representative Eric Burlison, R-Mo., argue that the plan should be fully paid for to prevent the national debt from becoming a "runaway train."