President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance brainstormed in the Oval Office on Tuesday about how to carry out the president’s ambitious agenda with the two top Republicans in Congress, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, amid narrow majorities in both houses of Congress.
Conflicting accounts emerged from the meeting as to whether Republicans will pursue a one-track strategy on budget reconciliation.
Johnson said there was a “great spirit of unity” — although he declined to confirm whether Senate Republicans had agreed to a reconciliation bill — saying the plan was “pretty well formulated.”
“I won’t talk about the discussions we had, but we have a strategy that we are all working on together. It’s going to be bicameral and there’s a lot of excitement about it,” Johnson said when he returned to the Capitol on Tuesday afternoon.
Vice President JD Vance makes remarks as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) look on in the Emancipation Hall viewing area for Donald J. Trump’s inauguration. The Rotunda of the US Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington
Jasper Colt-Pool/Getty Images
“It was a great meeting,” Johnson said. “We talked about strategy and priorities for Congress and where we are and where we’re going.”
“I can tell you that the Republican Party is united and excited,” Johnson added.
Trump, for his part, told reporters he was pushing “a big bill, almost a lot,” saying Republicans could use the opportunity to provide disaster relief funding for the Los Angeles fires.
“I think we have a good situation,” Trump said. “Now, in a way, Los Angeles has made it easier because they’re going to need a lot of money. And in general, I think you’d think a lot of Democrats are going to be asking for help. So I think maybe that makes it more one-sided.”
Thun told reporters that the meeting “covered a lot of ground” and “talked about all the issues.”
“That discussion is always based on what we can do and obviously we’re all interested in getting to the same destination, so we have a number of deadlines ahead of us,” Thun said. “There’s a lot to do and part of it is figuring out how to organize it.”
“Well, there’s a lot of great theory, but there’s always a difference when you have to put it into practice,” added Thun.
But House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who joined Trump in a larger meeting of Republican leaders in the Cabinet Room, revealed they had agreed to move forward in part.
“We’re moving forward with one bill,” Scalise said.
Whether or not Thune agreed with the one-bill strategy, Scalise replied, “Yes.”
Scalise said Republicans have not made a final decision on when to raise the debt limit, but indicated it could be tied to government funding, which expires on March 14.
Trump will meet with a group of moderate House Republicans Wednesday evening at the White House, multiple sources told ABC News. Members to attend include Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, Rep. Mike Lawler of New York and others.
“Everyone who was there will say that the meeting was pleasant. Everyone is excited and ready to work, and we will deliver on the America First agenda,” Johnson said. “The party is working together. The leaders of both chambers are working as bicameral and the president is in agreement.”
Thune noted that recess appointments were discussed at the meeting — “something he’s expressed interest in in the past” to pressure Democrats to support Trump’s nominees.
The Supreme Court in a 2014 decision gave the executive branch broad authority to fill executive branch vacancies when the Senate is not in session, including for political purposes, such as difficulties in obtaining Senate confirmation.
The Court’s guidelines for the process state that the Senate is in recess “when it says so” and the Constitution requires that the recess last 10 days or more before a president can hold office.
A House vote is also required to approve an adjournment of 10 days or more. The Constitution’s Adjournment Clause states that the chambers may not be out of session for “more than three days” without the consent of the other.
-ABC News’ Kelsey Walsh contributed to this report.
