Trump's agenda kickstarted by Congress. What happens next?

WASHINGTON – Congress has cleared the first major hurdle in their efforts to pass a sweeping party-line bill to enact President Donald Trump's agenda.

Now the work begins.

The resolution approved Thursday in the GOP-controlled House of Representatives outlines how much lawmakers can spend and how much they must cut spending in the final package. That sets up weeks of debate on the details of new tax cuts and how much to spend on each program, as lawmakers flesh out the bare-bones resolution.

Republicans aim to pack the bill with policies that Trump promised on the campaign trail, from strengthening border security to extending the tax cuts Trump signed in his first term, which are set to expire at the end of the year.

They plan to pass it without the help of Democrats by using a process known as "reconciliation," which allows them to skirt the Senate filibuster and its challenging 60-vote threshold.

Here's what you need to know about the path ahead.

Tax breaks

Lawmakers want to make the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent, extending lower income tax rates for individuals and corporations and a higher exemption from the estate tax.

Trump also wants to create new tax breaks, such as eliminating tax on overtime, tips and Social Security benefits. He campaigned for the White House in 2024 on ending taxes on tips and highlighted the promise during visits in critical battleground states with major service economies like Nevada.

A handful of key Republicans from high-tax states like New York and California are also going to push to end − or at least raise − the cap on state and local tax deductions known as SALT that Trump's tax bill created.

All told, nonpartisan analysts estimate the tax cuts will cost between $5 trillion and $11 trillion over the next decade.

These expensive priorities are likely to put House Republicans on a collision course with some in their conference who are uncomfortable with increasing federal debt.

"This is just the beginning. We have to now go draft the reconciliation package," said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, on Thursday as he explained why he supported the resolution. The final bill "will not actually increase deficits. That is our key driving factor. We got a commitment on that and that's why we're here."

Spending cuts to benefit programs

To appease those House Republicans who are concerned about running up the tab, Republican leaders are pledging to find at least $1.5 trillion in spending cuts as part of the package.

Experts say that is likely going to hit Medicaid, the healthcare program serving 72 million low-income Americans, as well as food benefits and other programs.

Cutting other major programs like Medicare and Social Security is off the table, as Trump has said repeatedly, leaving few options to find big savings.

Republican leaders say it is possible to cut hundreds of billions of dollars without impacting benefits by targeting "waste, fraud and abuse."

But several Republicans (and congressional Democrats) have said they will not vote for the package if it does result in cuts to Medicaid benefits. Sen. Susan Collins, a moderate Republican from Maine, expressed skepticism about the idea that there is enough fat to be cut without impacting benefits.

"I'm sure there's some fraud, and we certainly should go after that, but I don't see how you get to $880 billion," Collins said, referencing the top-line spending cuts number designated for the House committee that oversees the healthcare program.

Debt ceiling deadline

Congressional Republicans also plan to use the budget blueprint to raise the federal government's debt ceiling, which they must do by this summer or risk default on the nation's $36.6 trillion in debt.

The resolution would raise the debt ceiling by $5 trillion, which would avoid a looming default on the federal debt and help Republicans avoid negotiating on the extension with Democrats.

“What they’re doing, in reality, is giving billionaires the national credit card and telling them to go hog wild,” said Rep. Angie Craig, a Minnesota Democrat, during the floor debate over the resolution.

While Republicans want to pass the legislation as soon as possible, a potential default will provide the practical deadline for lawmakers to get the bill to Trump's desk.

Contributing: Reuters