GOP Hardliners Demand $2.5 Trillion Cuts, Stalling Trump Budget Plan

House Republicans are facing significant internal strife as they attempt to advance President Trump's budget agenda, with conservative factions demanding deeper spending cuts than the leadership has proposed. The House Freedom Caucus is pushing for at least $2 trillion in cuts, while GOP leaders initially suggested $900 billion, leading to a delay in the Budget Committee's planned vote. Speaker Mike Johnson is navigating these tensions amid concerns that failure to unify could allow the Senate to pursue its own, potentially less aggressive cuts. Lawmakers expressed frustration with the lack of a concrete plan, fearing that the Senate may move forward independently if the House does not act. Additionally, hardliners are threatening to oppose the budget blueprint unless it includes substantial cuts to social safety net programs, complicating the passage of any fiscal measures. The situation underscores the precarious balance within the GOP, as Johnson cannot afford to lose any votes in the narrowly divided House.