A Reconciliation Bill in the Next Eight Legislative Days… Is it Possible?

Speaker Mike Johnson has set a public deadline for a reconciliation bill by Memorial Day – just eight legislative days away to deliver “one big, beautiful bill.” Here’s what to watch as House Republicans turn promises into legislation:

Committee leadership vs. party leadership. With the most contentious markups happening this week – Ways & Means, Agriculture, and Energy & Commerce – look to see if there’s any daylight between how committee leadership and Speaker Johnson’s team message the bills.

Whether House Republicans can agree on a budget. After each committee works through its version of the reconciliation bill, the Budget Committee will put it all together into legislative text. With murmurs of disapproval after each committee version, we expect this to be more complicated than simply pulling different committee texts together.

GOP message unity. There’s a lot in this bill for voters to like and dislike, which makes unified messaging all the more difficult.  Whether Republicans can stay on message—or splinter over details—will impact their credibility heading into summer.

The next eight legislative days won’t just determine whether Speaker Johnson hits his Memorial Day mark; they’ll set the tone for House Republicans’ legislative muscle and political messaging heading into the fall. Whether it’s a legislative breakthrough or a partisan blueprint, how House Republicans spend these next two weeks will determine how this and other Trump priorities move through the chamber.