{"id":302,"date":"2026-06-09T22:09:58","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T22:09:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=302"},"modified":"2026-06-09T22:09:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T22:09:58","slug":"senate-republicans-shut-down-house-talk-about-third-party-line-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=302","title":{"rendered":"Senate Republicans Shut Down House Talk About Third Party-Line Bill"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n

Top Senate Republicans believe the chances of a third reconciliation bill are bleak despite the plans of House leaders, who are already crafting one, even before the party\u2019s slim border package finally limped across the finish line on Tuesday<\/u><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Read more Republicans Pass Bill Boosting Immigration Enforcement<\/a><\/p>\n

House Republicans for weeks have stoked chatter about passing a third single-party measure this summer. However, those discussions hit a dose of reality on Tuesday as a pair of leading Senate Republicans publicly declared they believe a third bill ain\u2019t happening \u2014 a decision that has scores of political and national security ramifications.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s safe to conclude there will not be another reconciliation bill,\u201d Sen. Mitch McConnell, chair of the Appropriations defense subcommittee, said during a hearing Tuesday, pointing to the Pentagon\u2019s call to pass $350 billion of President Donald Trump\u2019s $1.5 trillion defense budget using the process to get around a Democratic filibuster..<\/p>\n

\u201cSo it\u2019s not an option,\u201d the Kentucky Republican said.<\/p>\n

Adding insult to injury for the proponents of a third bill, Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) concurred.<\/p>\n

Republican leaders have long floated a third bill as a potential item in the toolkit in order to pass priorities that didn\u2019t make it into earlier packages, especially ahead of the November midterms, when Democrats could seize control of one or both chambers.<\/p>\n

Talk about a third proposal kicked off in earnest last week when House Speaker Mike Johnson said that he expected to start moving on it \u201cin the coming weeks,\u201d with the priority issues being \u201cfraud, waste and abuse in government.\u201d<\/p>\n

Republican lawmakers believe there are a number of other issues that could garner inclusion if plans move ahead, including funds for the Iran war and other tax-related items.<\/p>\n

However, after a push to approve a narrow second bill to provide funds for border protection turned into a hellish and complicated process, members have been left with a sour taste in their mouths. This is giving them little hope that another package has enough support \u2014 especially those who have been most vocal in pushing leaders to move one.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to do a third reconciliation package,\u201d Sen. John Kennedy (R-Louisiana) recently told reporters. \u201cWhen people boldly declare we\u2019re going to do a third reconciliation package, I generally tell them, \u2018I hope you\u2019re right.\u2019 But in the meantime, back off the crank. It\u2019s not looking real good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had a lot of trouble with number two,\u201d Kennedy continued. \u201cI see the world as it is, not as I want it to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Allies of leadership agree.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we should do it. \u2026 I also think it\u2019s going to be a heavy lift,\u201d said Sen. Steve Daines (R-Montana), a top backer of Senate Majority Leader John Thune.<\/p>\n

Republican lawmakers had hoped for a pain-free process to pass the border and ICE package, with Thune reiterating early on a plan to keep the bill targeted just to immigration enforcement funding. That went sideways after the White House demanded money to secure Trump\u2019s planned ballroom and the $1.8 billion \u201canti-weaponization\u201d fund was announced, blowing up Thune\u2019s plans.<\/p>\n

The final bill Congress finally approved was almost identical to the initial measure Republican leaders laid out at the start of the process, but it came after weeks of divisions inside the conference about how to handle the president\u2019s requests.<\/p>\n

Republican senators are already citing the potential hurdles for a third bill. Daines noted there\u2019s no clear consensus about what the bill would tackle, which only compounds the difficulty for leadership.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere would be a pretty long list of items, and that creates probably one of the challenges of getting it done,\u201d Daines continued, citing an old adage from former Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more rocks in the backpack, the harder to get to the top of the mountain,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Read more Black Democrats Are Scrambling to Find Someone to Run Against Debbie Wasserman Schultz<\/a><\/p>\n

The timing would also generate more headaches since Congress is just five months out from the midterm elections and Republicans are reeling as the public increasingly disagrees with Trump\u2019s handling of the Iran war and the economy.<\/p>\n

That was on display in the upper chamber last week as Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Husted (R-Ohio) and Collins \u2014 all of whom face difficult reelection bids in November \u2014 , voted for a number of Democratic amendments going after the \u201canti-weaponization\u201d fund and the ballroom security dollars.<\/p>\n

Even Thune cast doubt on the chances of a third bill, telling reporters on Monday that last week\u2019s tumult made it \u201cevident \u2026 that\u2019s going to be hard\u201d to get 50 votes for one.<\/p>\n

The possible collapse of a third bill would also have a major impact on the U.S. military and the defense industry.<\/p>\n

Hawkish Senate Republicans have publicly griped for weeks about the White House\u2019s defense funding request. That frustration boiled over in an Air Force budget hearing when McConnell \u2014 one of the administration\u2019s chief critics on the issue \u2014 made his grim assessment.<\/p>\n

McConnell has been arguing that the $350 billion chunk includes core defense priorities that deserve to be in a regular budget, which sets priorities for multiple years, and not reconciliation, which is a single-year funding package. He called the administration\u2019s strategy \u201ca recipe for major disruptions in the very possible event that party-line reconciliation fails.\u201d <\/p>\n

Among them is $17 billion for the Golden Dome missile defense system, a marquee program spearheaded by Trump himself. There\u2019s also billions for multiyear munitions purchases, part of a giant effort from Pentagon leaders that promises to restock the military\u2019s dwindling arsenal to boost defense jobs and balance sheets.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is especially mystifying for multiyear procurement contracts. I mean, the need to budget for them annually is right there in the name,\u201d McConnell said. \u201cThe administration\u2019s choice to structure an ambitious $1.5 trillion dollar request in this way is yet another missed opportunity to put key aspects of our common defense on a stronger and more enduring fiscal footing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Collins, at Tuesday\u2019s hearing, ripped the Trump administration\u2019s bifurcation of F-35 fighter jet purchases along similar lines. She noted that Pratt & Whitney\u2019s facility in Maine had invested in a new engine factory that employs 2,300 people, but the regular budget request included only $10 million for engine upgrades and put the remaining $144 million for the project into reconciliation.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere\u2019s my concern: The administration is proposing that a significant portion of funding for both of these modernization programs be done through a third reconciliation bill, a bill that may never happen,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat is the impact on these programs if they are not fully funded in fiscal 2027, and what are the impacts on the defense industrial base?\u201d<\/p>\n

Over in the House however, Johnson keeps talking up the idea of a third bill.<\/p>\n

At an elected leadership meeting on Monday, House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris (R-Maryland) pitched using reconciliation to pass the hyper-partisan portions of appropriations bills, a source told NOTUS.<\/p>\n

Harris \u2014 who is an appropriator \u2014 proposed the third party-line bill as the way to get funding priorities through without having to go through the appropriations process. Johnson appeared open to the idea, one source said, but it was unclear if he actually grasped the magnitude of what was being floated.<\/p>\n

Other Republicans believe Johnson is serious about trying to pass a third reconciliation bill, but say it is a fool\u2019s errand.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s the jelly in the middle of the donut? What\u2019s the enticement for me? Every one of the ideas that\u2019s put forward is something that is punitive to the states that all the front liners are in,\u201d one House Republican told NOTUS of a third reconciliation bill.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Trump Promises to \u2018Respond\u2019 to Iranian Attack on U.S. Military Helicopter<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“I think it’s safe to conclude there will not be another reconciliation bill,\u201d Sen. Mitch McConnell says as Congress narrowly passes immigration funding bill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":301,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-302","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-congress"],"yoast_head":"\nSenate Republicans Shut Down House Talk About Third Party-Line Bill - Modern Home Journals<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=302\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Senate Republicans Shut Down House Talk About Third Party-Line Bill - Modern Home Journals\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\""I think it's safe to conclude there will not be another reconciliation bill,\u201d Sen. Mitch McConnell says as Congress narrowly passes immigration funding bill.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=302\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Modern Home Journals\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-09T22:09:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/?p=302#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/?p=302\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/533de239efc09a2ab59959cc1bff86d0\"},\"headline\":\"Senate Republicans Shut Down House Talk About Third Party-Line Bill\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-09T22:09:58+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/?p=302\"},\"wordCount\":1321,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/?p=302#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/c987b9246b9e23c7c8f53635663335a8-scaled.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Congress\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/?p=302#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/?p=302\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/?p=302\",\"name\":\"Senate Republicans Shut Down House Talk About Third Party-Line Bill - Modern Home Journals\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/?p=302#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/?p=302#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/c987b9246b9e23c7c8f53635663335a8-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-09T22:09:58+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/533de239efc09a2ab59959cc1bff86d0\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/?p=302#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/?p=302\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/?p=302#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/c987b9246b9e23c7c8f53635663335a8-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/c987b9246b9e23c7c8f53635663335a8-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707,\"caption\":\"Senate Committee on Appropriations subcommittee on the Department of Defense Chair Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., attends a hearing on budget estimates for the Navy, Tuesday, June 24, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo\\\/Jacquelyn Martin)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/?p=302#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Senate Republicans Shut Down House Talk About Third Party-Line Bill\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Modern Home Journals\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/533de239efc09a2ab59959cc1bff86d0\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/modernhomejournals.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Senate Republicans Shut Down House Talk About Third Party-Line Bill - Modern Home Journals","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=302","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Senate Republicans Shut Down House Talk About Third Party-Line Bill - Modern Home Journals","og_description":"\"I think it's safe to conclude there will not be another reconciliation bill,\u201d Sen. Mitch McConnell says as Congress narrowly passes immigration funding bill.","og_url":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=302","og_site_name":"Modern Home Journals","article_published_time":"2026-06-09T22:09:58+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=302#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=302"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/#\/schema\/person\/533de239efc09a2ab59959cc1bff86d0"},"headline":"Senate Republicans Shut Down House Talk About Third Party-Line Bill","datePublished":"2026-06-09T22:09:58+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=302"},"wordCount":1321,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=302#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c987b9246b9e23c7c8f53635663335a8-scaled.jpg","articleSection":["Congress"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=302#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=302","url":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=302","name":"Senate Republicans Shut Down House Talk About Third Party-Line Bill - Modern Home Journals","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=302#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=302#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c987b9246b9e23c7c8f53635663335a8-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2026-06-09T22:09:58+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/#\/schema\/person\/533de239efc09a2ab59959cc1bff86d0"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=302#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=302"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=302#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c987b9246b9e23c7c8f53635663335a8-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c987b9246b9e23c7c8f53635663335a8-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707,"caption":"Senate Committee on Appropriations subcommittee on the Department of Defense Chair Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., attends a hearing on budget estimates for the Navy, Tuesday, June 24, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo\/Jacquelyn Martin)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=302#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Senate Republicans Shut Down House Talk About Third Party-Line Bill"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/","name":"Modern Home Journals","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/#\/schema\/person\/533de239efc09a2ab59959cc1bff86d0","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/modernhomejournals.com"],"url":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/302","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=302"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/302\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=302"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=302"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=302"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}