The panel is designed to give the White House a menu of actions it can take on its own, without intervention by Congress. But unified control of Washington has prompted Republicans to set up their own caucuses that will help facilitate the rollback.
In the afternoon, Musk and Ramaswamy convened Republicans in the House and Senate to solicit ideas on how to reduce the deficit, making only brief introductory remarks before opening the floor to lawmakers. Throughout the day, they held meetings with Johnson and other key decision-makers that were described as general in nature.
“We have a window, and we have reconciliation as a tool, and we need to utilize that,” said Rep. Jodey Arrington , the chairman of the House Budget Committee. “That’s why I’m excited, and that’s why these guys are going to play a good role in that.” Others, particularly Trump’s congressional allies, were open to the step if it helped the commission be effective.