Congress is taking up one of the biggest political debates of the year this week, with a House vote expected as soon as Wednesday on what is being called "Reconciliation 3.0."
The legislation carries a $95 billion price tag and touches on several major policy areas:
- $73 billion for the military and the Iran War
- $12 billion for struggling farmers
- $10 billion for election integrity
The reconciliation process is a legislative tool that allows funding bills to pass the Senate with a simple majority vote, bypassing the filibuster. That makes it one of the most powerful mechanisms available to the party in power.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson has framed the effort as a priority for Republicans.
"It's our best shot at enacting our party's top priority legislation," Johnson said.
The most controversial element of the package is the $10 billion reserved for election integrity. Reconciliation 3.0 currently includes President Donald Trump's Save America Act, which would overhaul federal elections by requiring voter ID when voting and proof of citizenship when registering to vote.
"No country can be great without fair and honest elections," Trump said.
But even if the package advances in the House this week, there are significant obstacles to it becoming law in its current form.
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Democrats in the Senate are opposed to the legislation. Additionally, four Republican senators have previously voiced concerns — enough votes to block it. There is also a question of whether the Senate parliamentarian will allow election reform to pass through the reconciliation process, since not every policy proposal is permitted to bypass the filibuster.
This week, Congress is also expected to take up funding to avoid a government shutdown in September, the military's annual budget, and a measure that would restrict members of Congress from buying stock.
