Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana dropped to one knee on the Senate floor, imploring Senate Majority Leader John Thune to advance a fresh reconciliation bill aimed at cracking down on welfare abuse.
The internal GOP debate over whether to pursue another reconciliation measure has intensified in recent days, according to Western Journal, with Thune suggesting one possible vehicle could be legislation tied to alleged large-scale fraud in Minnesota. Kennedys dramatic appeal came during a floor speech focused on those allegations and on what he framed as a moral obligation to protect taxpayers from systemic exploitation of federal benefits.
We need to do another reconciliation bill to fix the welfare system and stop the stealing. Stop the stealing. And we can do it with all Republican votes, Kennedy declared, arguing that conservatives have both the votes and the duty to act unilaterally if Democrats refuse to cooperate. So please, Senator Thune, pretty please. As Ive said before. Im shameless. Ill beg. Ill get down on my knees. John, please bring another reconciliation bill. We can do so much, but we can start with fixing welfare fraud. Please, John, please let us do the bill.
Thune, however, signaled reluctance to lean again on the budget reconciliation process, which allows the Senate majority to sidestep a Democratic filibuster and pass certain fiscal measures with a simple majority. I always think the best solution, if possible, is to try and do things through regular order, he said, underscoring a preference for bipartisan, committee-driven legislation even as conservatives warn that time is running out to rein in federal spending and abuse.
House Speaker Mike Johnson sounded more open to Kennedys approach, telling The Scott Jennings Show on Wednesday that he was working right now very methodically, carefully to determine what of our priorities we can squeeze into a second reconciliation bill with the idea wed move that early in the year. Johnsons comments suggest House leadership is actively exploring how to bundle conservative prioritiesparticularly on welfare integrity and fiscal restraintinto a fast-track package that cannot be easily blocked by Senate Democrats.
Skepticism remains within Republican ranks, with Missouri Rep. Jason Smith, chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, having said in December that he did not see a path of a second reconciliation ever passing. President Donald Trump likewise downplayed the need for another sweeping reconciliation effort, saying Republicans dont need another major bill because we got everything in the landmark tax cut and spending package enacted in July, a reminder that many conservatives view that achievement as the gold standard of pro-growth reform.
The renewed push for reconciliation has been fueled in part by mounting evidence of alleged fraud in Minnesotas taxpayer-funded programs, which conservatives cite as emblematic of a broken welfare system. YouTuber Nick Shirley posted a viral video on December 26 showing visits to Minnesota daycare centers enrolled in public programs that appeared to be non-operational, while First Assistant U.S.
Attorney Joe Thompson warned on December 18 that fraud in the states Medicaid program could exceed $9 billion, a staggering figure that strengthens the case for aggressive oversight and structural reform.
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