Raw Story - 'Gutless': Republicans hit out at speaker over budget they fear could make US 'bankrupt'

Krystina Alarcon Carroll
April 28, 2025 7:34AM ET

Republicans will embark on a ‘legislative sprint’ this week to finalize President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful” domestic policy bill, according to a Politico report.

And key disputes must be settled. They include the size of spending cuts needed to pay for their plans and how dramatically they will reshape Medicaid and other safety-net programs.

“Starting it at $1.5 trillion in cuts is a loser just because we’ll end up at nothing,” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) told the news outlet. He called his GOP colleagues “pretty gutless” when it comes to slashing government spending.

One House Republican, who was granted anonymity by Politico, pointed to the scale of cuts as a “major fault line.” The person added that there could be “70 or 80 members of the House who, if we don’t have real and substantial cuts, are going to wonder, why does any of this matter?”

If Speaker Mike Johnson has his way, the bill would be passed no later than Memorial Day.

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