No Reconciliation Blueprint Yet as House GOP Retreat Ends

Amid talks of cuts, lawmakers suggested likely defense spending increases and didn’t rule out changes to COVID-era rules for Medicaid.

President Donald Trump (R) gestures on stage alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) at the House Republican Members Conference Dinner at Trump National Doral Miami, in Miami, Fla., on Jan. 27, 2025. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

DORAL, Fla.—As a House Republican retreat in Florida drew to a close on Jan. 29, many lawmakers suggested they had made progress on a reconciliation budget bill designed to avoid any filibuster attempt by Democrats in the Senate and further President Donald J. Trump’s agenda.

But the more fine-grained blueprint Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) hoped for ahead of the gathering at Trump National Doral Miami had not yet materialized.