House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole is headed to the president’s retreat at Camp David as lawmakers assemble a third party-line package that falls short of Donald Trump’s ambitious defense spending target.
Cole (R-Okla.) said he is headed to the Maryland outpost Thursday where he expects to have conversations about defense funding levels and “general things.” Cole was unsure of the full attendance list for the meeting.
Cole acknowledged Wednesday that the House GOP budget resolution released Wednesday morning comes in far under the $350 billion Trump has been calling for on Pentagon spending. The House framework included just $73 billion for defense and intelligence.
Trump has proposed a record-breaking $1.5 trillion for the overall defense budget for the coming fiscal year, and the party-line bill is seen as key to reaching that goal without needing Democratic support.
“I think they’re probably just dealing with political reality there. I haven’t gotten an explanation from them yet,” Cole said Wednesday afternoon. “I am headed out tomorrow to Camp David for a quick discussion and I’m sure that’ll be dealt with then.”
A group of select Budget Committee Republicans, Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise and White House officials held private meetings at Camp David earlier in the week to nail down a plan for the slimmed-down $95 billion package. Trump was not in attendance.
Budget Committee Republicans were summoned by White House officials and boarded a bus Sunday for the presidential retreat for a 24-hour marathon sprint of budget talks.
Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report.
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