Challenges in Budget Reconciliation

House Republicans are grappling with significant challenges in moving their budget forward, with recent plans to cut $500 billion meeting resistance from conservative hardliners seeking cuts between $2 and $5 trillion. The postponement of the House Budget Committee's markup hearing disrupts timelines, likely pushing budget discussions into March, which complicates the reconciliation process. Despite this setback, some options remain, including a push for a budget resolution aimed at large economic growth and spending cuts or shifting to a two-bill approach for reconciliation. House Speaker Mike Johnson is faced with navigating these frustrations while maintaining party unity and potentially requiring intervention from influential figures like Donald Trump to motivate progress.