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House Republicans are moving forward with the first procedural steps toward advancing a third budget reconciliation package, signaling another attempt to enact major spending priorities through the budget resolution process.  Last week, the House Budget Committee approved and reported a Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget resolution that would direct four committees—Agriculture, Armed Services, Intelligence, and House Administration—to develop legislation authorizing up to $95 billion in new spending.

Under the proposal, approximately $12 billion would be allocated to agricultural programs, $73 billion would support defense initiatives, and $10 billion would fund election administration programs tied to a scaled-back version of the SAVE America Act. Those funds would provide incentives for states to strengthen voter identification and citizenship verification efforts.

Notably, the budget resolution does not include any revenue-generating provisions or spending offsets to reduce the impact on the federal deficit. 

While the House resolution advances the reconciliation process, it currently contains no reconciliation instructions for Senate committees. Those provisions could be added before House passage. If they are not, and the Senate later adopts its own budget resolution with separate committee instructions, the House would be required to vote on a revised resolution a second time. The procedural uncertainty highlights the limited coordination between the House and Senate as Republicans work to develop a unified budget strategy.

Even if the House approves the resolution, its prospects in the Senate remain unclear. Senate Majority Leader Thune (R-SD) has not committed to bringing the measure to the Senate floor before his chamber departs for the August recess.

Several Senate Republicans have also expressed reservations about pursuing another reconciliation package, citing concerns over the politically difficult “vote-a-rama” process. During those extended amendment sessions, senators may offer an unlimited number of amendments, creating opportunities for politically sensitive votes ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Beyond procedural hurdles, Republicans continue to debate whether another reconciliation bill would accomplish enough to justify the political effort required for passage. Under current Senate budget rules, key provisions of the SAVE America Act would likely be ineligible for inclusion in a reconciliation bill under the Byrd Rule. In addition, the proposal falls short of funding levels sought by the Department of Defense for supplemental FY 2026 priorities and does not include the additional $350 billion in FY 2027 defense funding requested separately by the White House. The package also lacks provisions designed to offset new spending or reduce its impact on the federal deficit.