The near impossibility of the GOP's megabill

Plus, Justice Jackson warns of 'catch me if you can' regime in birthright citizenship hearing |

VIEW IN BROWSER MSNBC DAILY Understand today's news Friday, May. 16, 2025 THE LATEST House Budget Chair Jodey Arrington faces a near-impossible puzzle By Hayes Brown House Budget Chair Jodey Arrington faces a near-impossible puzzle By Hayes Brown Friday is going to be a tough day for House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington, R-Texas. For the past few weeks, his fellow committee chairs have been passing along the various components that will form the legislative backbone to President Donald Trump's agenda and extend the 2017 tax cuts due to expire next year. It's up to Arrington's committee to pull those assorted pieces together into one coherent bill that will be able to pass the House — and the odds aren't exactly stacked in his favor.   Arrington's first attempt at passing a budget framework to fit Trump's demand for "one big, beautiful bill" hit a roadblock in February when the Senate balked at the deep spending cuts it required. It took another two months of work before the two chambers settled on a joint budget reconciliation bill that would let them move forward on a party-line basis, freezing Democrats out of the process. The framework that passed provided instructions to the relevant congressional committees on how much they should spend and cut from the programs under their purview, leaving the details to the chairs to work out.   All the House committees have filled in the blanks now, passing their final works on to Arrington to assemble. While the bills in question may have passed each panel, the sum will prove to be more challenging than its parts.   This is a preview of Hayes Brown's latest column. Read the full column here. TOP STORIES DANIEL R. DEPETRIS Trump's unconventional Syria trip marks a paradigm shift  Trump called the Syrian rebel-turned-president a tough guy and "a real leader" who had the ability to turn Syria around. Read more.   BARBARA MCQUADE This failed Trump nominee may have just found his true calling — thanks to Pam Bondi Ed Martin has been resurrected in a role where he can perhaps do even more damage. Read more. JA'HAN JONES Elon Musk's chatbot just showed why AI regulation is an urgent necessity X's Grok has been responding to unrelated prompts with discussions of "white genocide" in South Africa, one of Musk's hobbyhorses. Read more. ALLISON DETZEL 'Get out sooner rather than later': Yale professors flee U.S. over fascism concerns "We're like people on the Titanic, saying 'Our ship can't sink,'" professor Marci Shore said. "There is no such thing as a ship that can't sink." Read more.  TOP VIDEOS ANA CABRERA REPORTS Justice Jackson warns of 'catch me if you can' regime in birthright citizenship hearing WATCH NOW ALL IN Rep. Pressley on Trump's trade war and Walmart price hikes: 'They have lost the plot' WATCH NOW DEADLINE WHITE HOUSE 'Open season for corruption': FBI shuts down public corruption unit that investigated Trump WATCH NOW MORNING JOE Harvard president to take 25% pay cut amid White House funding battle WATCH NOW MORE FROM MSNBC Sunday, join Chris Jansing for special coverage of Pope Leo's first public Mass. Tune in Sunday at 3:45am Eastern on MSNBC. In the latest episode of "Main Justice," MSNBC Legal Analysts Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord discuss how the White House is considering suspending habeas corpus for migrants and what that means. Plus, they highlight the importance of due process following the recent release of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University student who was detained by ICE over an opinion piece she wrote for the student newspaper. Listen now, and subscribe to MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts for ad-free listening and bonus content.   MSNBC INSIGHTS Have you ever wanted to provide MSNBC with your opinion about their TV programs, documentaries, and digital products, such as MSNBC.com, newsletters, and podcasts? Now is your chance! Join the MSNBC Insights Community.   Download the MSNBC App: 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112 PRIVACY | CONTACT | UNSUBSCRIBE