Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), and Congressman Troy Downing (R-Mont.) to discuss the budget reconciliation committee markup process starting this week to pass an America First agenda, as we mark a productive 100 days under President Trump’s leadership. Leader Scalise outlined how budget reconciliation will unleash American energy to lower costs at the pump, stop tax hikes, secure our border, bolster our military, and protect small businesses. Leader Scalise also highlighted how Democrats refuse to partner with Republicans on these commonsense measures, instead prioritizing their anger with President Trump.
 
On House Committees beginning the reconciliation markup process:

“Well, anybody who's been following since the day President Trump took the oath of office for this second term knows that President Donald Trump has been working nonstop at a feverish pace to deliver results for the American people. I don't think we've seen a president in 100 days get more things accomplished, follow through on more promises to get this country back on track. And we're only 100 days in. Obviously, the things that we've been working with this president on are really going to be starting off in a much bigger way with this one big, beautiful bill.

“The budget reconciliation process formally starts today with the reconciliation bill. Seven committees go to work this week. Next week, another four committees will continue doing that important work. And this has been about a year in the making. This is not something that happened overnight. All of our committees have been meeting both individually. We've been meeting with the President for about a year to get to this moment and start delivering on those things that we all ran on.”

On Democrats' anger over Republicans' wins:

“These are not just campaign promises that Donald Trump talked about on a campaign trail. This is also something that House Republicans said we would do. We said we would prevent a massive tax increase on American families. If Congress takes no action, there would be a four-and-a-half trillion dollar tax hike on families.

“If you listen to Democrats who are all going to vote no on this package, let's make no mistake about it, they've been clear from the beginning, they just want to obstruct everything. You saw it at the State of the Union when President Trump said, look, this 13-year-old boy beat cancer. And they all just sat there on their hands, angry because President Trump was highlighting somebody else's success. And I think the American people got disgusted when they realized a whole major party in America is just going to oppose anything President Trump does because they hate him as an individual, even when it's good for America. And believe me, preventing a tax increase on over 90% of American families is good for America. But every Democrat will vote no because they want a tax increase on American families. Every Democrat will vote no on a bill that's going to secure America's border.”

On House Republicans delivering on an America First agenda: 

“You've seen President Trump deliver through executive action on things he can do. And it's resulted in amazing results. Over 95% reduction in border crossings illegally, deportation of hardened criminals, violent gang members, murderers, rapists, finally sent back to prisons in their country where they belong, where many of them came from. And what are Democrats doing? Democrats aren't celebrating that they're flying to other countries to try to get hardened gang members in prisons released back into the United States. It's lunacy. But that's where their party is, because they are void of any ideas. They are a leaderless party. The Democrat Party literally has no leader except AOC and [Jasmine] Crockett, and Bernie Sanders. And that's what their parties become. They're just opposed to everything.

“They don't want to produce more American energy. But the good news is we do. That's also going to be in this bill that we start debating to allow America to produce more energy so that we and our friends don't have to be dependent on foreign nations like Russia or Iran for oil and natural gas. We can do more of it. We can lower costs for families. We can create more jobs at home. We can ensure that more manufacturing can be done in America. That's all going to be part of this bill. We're also going to make our military more competitive. Everybody knows China has been incredibly aggressive, not just their naval fleet developing hypersonic weapons. And America had fallen behind under Joe Biden. And Donald Trump said we are going to address these inadequacies. And if you look at what's in this bill, again, addressing major problems to make our country competitive again militarily. And every Democrat will vote no on that as well. And the good news is Republicans said, well, if Democrats are just going to block everything, if Democrats want a tax hike, if Democrats do not want secure borders, if Democrats want to make our country more dependent on foreign nations for our energy, that's why they lost the election. Those days are gone.”

On President Trump’s success in his first 100 days back in office:

“We can actually fix all of these problems without any Democrat support. We'd welcome their votes, we'd welcome their input. But they've chosen to just go the other way because their far-left radical base won't let them work with Donald Trump on anything that's good for America. But that hasn't deterred President Trump. President Trump is resolute in fighting for those hardworking families who have been struggling. Again, the tax increase, when they talk about millionaires and billionaires, it's over 90% of Americans who would see a tax increase if no action was taken. That's families making $50,000, $60,000 a year. That's not the rich. That's the people who are just barely getting by, who have been struggling under the weight of the failures of Joe Biden's economy. The waitress who's maybe working two jobs, barely getting by. And President Trump and this Republican Congress are going to deliver on no tax on tips so that that single mom who's maybe working two jobs can have a little bit more money in her pocket and be able to take her kids on a vacation or invest in her kids’ college. That's what we're doing this week as we watch the Democrats oppose everything just because they have become a party derelict of any ideas. This is a Congress of leadership and action working with a President who's probably done more in 100 days than any other president we've ever seen. And the best is yet to come.”

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