The House Freedom Caucus, a conservative faction within the Republican Party, has released a detailed memo criticizing the Senate-passed GOP megabill, focusing on its significant deficit implications and the perceived deviation from initial promises by leadership. This memo comes as Republican leaders work to secure support from hard-line members ahead of a critical vote Wednesday.
The three-page document addresses multiple amendments made to the bill following its House passage in May. While some changes were necessitated by Senate budget rules that required the removal of certain provisions to sidestep a potential Democratic filibuster, others were made to align the bill with Senate procedural requirements. The memo emphasizes that the revised bill’s substantial deficit impact was not accounted for in the initial promises made by leaders John Thune and Mike Johnson.
According to the memo, the bill violates the House’s established framework of $1 in tax cuts for $1 in spending cuts, which was intended to maintain fiscal responsibility. The revised bill, however, is projected to increase the deficit by $761 billion without interest and over $1.3 trillion with interest after amendments and a wrap-around amendment were adopted. This significant financial impact has raised concerns among conservative lawmakers, who argue that the bill’s fiscal implications were not adequately communicated or promised by leadership.
The memo serves as a direct critique of Republican Party leaders, suggesting that their assurances about the bill’s fiscal responsibility were not accurate. The Freedom Caucus’s criticism highlights the growing tensions within the GOP as they attempt to unify behind the megabill, with some members feeling that the bill’s financial consequences were not properly managed or communicated.