Here's What Congress Will Tackle After August Recess

Henrietta Treyz, co-founder at Veda Partners, joins for a discussion on Congressional priorities after the August recess.

Congressional Republicans trying to sell their massive tax-and-spending package back home after fighting for months to get it over the finish line have been hit with a backlash from unhappy voters.

From booing at events to red cape-clad protesters, GOP lawmakers can’t catch a break on their August recess from the partisan furor sparked by President Donald Trump’s aggressive second-term agenda.

Republican leadership on both sides of the Capitol maintain the protests aren’t deterring them. Even as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) faced a group of protesters outside of a Monroe Chamber of Commerce lunch in his home state, he promised to forge ahead with more legislation Republicans can pass without Democrats.

“We’re planning another big bill, reconciliation 2.0, that I’m intending to do in the mid to late fall and then we’re going to have a third one, I hope in the spring, if I keep all these cats herded and going in the same direction,” Johnson said.

House Republicans have largely shied away from holding public town halls after accusing Democrats of packing them with leftist activists. After weeks spent on the road, they say voters are warming to the megabill.

“People are excited about it,” said Rep. John McGuire (R-Va.), who’s attended tractor pulls, rodeos, and churches in his sprawling district. “I keep hearing the opposition define this bill, it’s something that it’s not, and they say it does things that it doesn’t do. But think about this: no tax on tips, very popular.” He was referring to a provision that provides tax breaks for tipped workers, though it limits that deduction to $25,000.

The National Republican Congressional Committee encouraged members to host “creative events” like small business roundtables, press conferences, and hospital visits. Town halls were conspicuously absent from the list.

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