House Budget Committee approves FY2027 budget resolution with $95B in uncut spending

By: Paul M. Krawzak Source: CQ Roll Call

The House Budget Committee approved a fiscal 2027 budget resolution Thursday, taking the first step toward passing a filibuster-proof reconciliation bill that would provide tens of billions of dollars for defense, farm aid, and voting restrictions.

The panel advanced the GOP-backed budget resolution on a strictly party-line vote of 20–14, after rejecting 14 amendments, all offered by Democrats.

However, in a sign of potential trouble as the resolution heads to the House floor, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas — a Budget Committee member who also serves on the powerful Rules Committee — did not vote at Thursday's markup. Roy and other conservative critics have expressed concerns that the resolution requires no offsetting spending cuts to keep the deficit in check, and that voter ID restrictions sought by President Donald Trump would need to be watered down to comply with reconciliation process rules.

Key Provisions

The concurrent resolution includes instructions to four House committees:

• Armed Services
• Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
• Agriculture
• House Administration

These committees are directed to draft legislation providing:

• Up to $73 billion in defense and intelligence funds to underwrite the war in Iran
• $12 billion in aid to farmers
• $10 billion for legislation aimed at preventing voting fraud

If adopted by the House next week — and also by the Senate — the budget resolution would allow for a reconciliation bill that spends up to $95 billion over 10 years, not including interest costs, without any offsetting cuts.

Chairman's Appeal

In an impassioned plea for support as the markup began, House Budget Chairman Jodey C. Arrington, R-Texas, said the reconciliation bill is necessary because Democrats will not provide the support needed to pass a supplemental funding request sought by Trump that includes $67 billion to pay for the Iran war.

"We should be able to work collectively to stand with our troops," Arrington said. "It will not happen … and if we don't use reconciliation to just give baseline readiness, not Star Wars and Golden Dome and transformative modernizing of the military, just the bombs, bullets and battlefield readiness for our men and women in uniform, to finish the fight successfully and return home safely, that's it."

Arrington added that the reconciliation bill would "strengthen our food supply" by providing aid to farmers and "give confidence to the American people that there is in fact free, fair and accurate elections."

Voting Restrictions

The instruction to the House Administration Committee is intended to produce a measure similar to legislation pushed by Trump and Republicans — the so-called SAVE America Act — which would require proof of citizenship and identification to vote. The bill has been unable to secure the support from Senate Democrats needed to become law.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., applauded the adoption of the resolution and its inclusion of defense and voting-related instructions.

"This is the next step toward advancing the SAVE America Act — our party's top legislative priority," he said on X, formerly Twitter. "Democrats have chosen not to engage on these important issues. Ultimately, they'll have to answer to the American people."

Democratic Resistance

Pennsylvania Rep. Brendan F. Boyle, the panel's ranking Democrat, responded to Arrington's speech by telling the committee he used to read fairy tales to his daughter and "I would try to come up with the most imaginative, wildest, most creative fairy tale I could come up with."

"Mr. Chairman, I give you credit," Boyle added.