As Congress scrambles to assemble a third reconciliation package, the Chairman of the Republican Study Committee (RSC) struck an optimistic tone in an interview on the Ruthless Podcast."On affordability, on fraud, and on defense, I think that we're going to run a two-minute drill," Rep.August Pfluger, R-Texas, said in an exclusive interview released Tuesday morning.
"In fact, we’re in the middle of planning for it right now."Reconciliation is a budget-related measure that can pass the Senate on a simple majority vote.Most other forms of legislation require 60 votes to bypass the filibuster in the upper chamber.SEN RAND PAUL: MY PLAN WOULD FORCE CONGRESS TO STOP OVERSPENDING YOUR HARD-EARNED MONEYRepublican Study Committee Chairman Congressman August Pfluger speaks during a press conference with other members of the Republican Study Committee as well as members of House Republican leadership, on the 28th day of the government shutdown in Washington, D.C.
on Oct.28, 2025.
(Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)The House is expected to vote on the second, immigration-focused, reconciliation bill later this week.The Senate approved the measure last week.Pfluger lamented that Republicans needed to use reconciliation to pass reconciliation 2.0 and fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP)."I’m hopeful about this country," Pfluger said.
"But it is a sad state of affairs when you have to do partisan-only bills like reconciliation, especially for defense-related things."TRUMP CALLS FOR SECOND 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' TO FUND ICE ON HIS DESK BY JUNE 1The U.S.Capitol Building at dusk during a candlelight vigil in honor of National Police Week, on May 12, 2026, in Washington, DC.
(The U.S.Capitol Building at dusk during a candlelight vigil in honor of National Police Week, on May 12, 2026, in Washington, DC.)Podcast co-host Josh Holmes struck a similar tone."[The Democrats] forced it on...