Morning Report GOP mulls reconciliation push in hunt for midterm win by Jared Gans - 03/12/26 6:40 AM ET by Jared Gans - 03/12/26 6:40 AM ET Share ✕ LinkedIn LinkedIn Email Email NOW PLAYING Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here . In today’s issue: ▪ GOP looks for midterm win ▪ Senate poised to pass housing bill ▪ High gas prices likely to stick around ▪ Oklahoma Senate battle underway Republican members of Congress are turning their attention back to the reconciliation process as they try to advance one more major piece of legislation before the November midterm elections. The GOP already scored the most significant legislative victory of President Trump ’s second term last year in passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a major tax cut and spending law. But Trump used his State of the Union address last month to call on congressional Republicans to take more action. The possibility of using reconciliation, through which bills can pass the Senate by a simple majority rather than the typically required 60 votes, was a key point of discussion throughout the House GOP’s three-day issues conference this week. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters during a press conference that he’s been a “champion for reconciliation as one of the important tools in the toolbox.” “I think we can come together and envision a Venn diagram as I do — what are those handful of issues that are in the center of those concentric circles that is something that every Republican can agree on, that is great things for the country,” he said. The president’s focus has chiefly been on the SAVE America Act, a voting-requirements bill under which people would need to provide proof of citizenship before registering to vote and present an ID before casting a ballot. But that legislation, which has already passed the House, appears unlikely to advance in the Senate, with Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) insisting there aren’t enough votes to change filibuster rules to let Republicans move it forward, despite pressure from the president. That could turn more attention to alternate legislation designed to boost the GOP’s economic messaging ahead of the midterms. The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports soft job numbers, stubborn inflation and rising gas prices, spurred on by the Iran conflict, are worrying Republicans about an impending electoral backlash in November. Republicans have been looking for ways to show they are delivering for the American people, especially with Trump’s economic approval rating underwater . Reconciliation may be the best way to do that. But accomplishing it won’t be easy, even though the process would allow a bill to advance with only GOP support. The razor-thin Republican House majority is one major obstacle, as the party currently can only afford to lose one vote and still pass legislation. The Hill’s Sudiksha Kochi reports fractures within the party are adding to the difficulty, with fiscal hawks advocating for spending cuts, not new spending. Johnson has also floated using reconciliation to target what he said is waste, fraud and abuse in Democratic-led states. Whether any of these ideas can get across the finish line is up in the air, but Republicans are eager to do something legislatively as the Iran offensive has overshadowed much of the conversation in Washington. A source familiar with the conversation at the House GOP retreat told NewsNation’s Jackie Koppell that leaders discussed adding military funding for the Iran offensive to a potential second reconciliation bill. But one complicating factor is significant spending cuts that would need to offset the cost, the source said. Congress is up against the clock to take any action, with the legislative calendar quickly diminishing before lawmakers squarely focus on campaigning back home. ▪ Washington Examiner : Johnson pushes reconciliation with Trump focus elsewhere. ▪ The Hill : Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) denies flipping on filibuster for Trump support. SENATE VOTING ON HOUSING BILL: Lawmakers from both parties appear set to notch a bipartisan win as the Senate is expected to pass a bipartisan housing bill later this morning. The bill would approve incentives to build new homes, launch a program allowing abandoned buildings to become housing development and allow new grants to overhaul homes, among other initiatives. The legislation would be the first major housing bill passed in nearly three decades, bringing together priorities from both the House and the Senate and giving both parties an accomplishment. But questions remain as to whether it can get enough support to pass in the House, as House Majority Leader  Steve Scalise  (R-La.) said changes need to be made to it. The White House has declared its support for the legislation, but the bill seems to be lower on the pr