Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee said House Republicans want a budget bill with tax cuts on President Donald Trump's desk by Memorial Day.
"We need the Senate to not be wasting time," Smith said at an event hosted by the American Enterprise Institute, according to Politico.
House Republicans passed a budget bill in February on a party-line vote despite a razor thin majority. While Smith wants Senate Republicans to move quickly, Senate Republicans are still weighing to pass a bill extending the Trump tax cuts later this year, while House Republicans would prefer to pass everything in one bill.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., previously said he would not put the House budget resolution to a vote before the upper chamber's mid-March recess.
"If you can eat dessert first, you're not going to eat the broccoli later," Smith said. "And so some of my members of this conference, if you just give them border and energy first, they're not gonna eat the broccoli."
The Missouri congressman said he also supported Trump's proposal to offer businesses a write off for equipment expenses, retroactive to Jan. 20, Inauguration Day.
"The President last night said the 20th, and if the President wants the 20th, I'll make it the 20th, but just I hope people didn't make a lot of investments from Jan. 1st to the 20th, or the 19th," Smith said.
Sam Barron ✉
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