Republicans are in their honeymoon phase. But big clashes over Trump's agenda are unresolved.
The focus at the House GOP's three-day retreat was on party unity rather than diving into the weeds on big funding cuts and legislative procedure.
DORAL, Fla. — Ebullient House Republicans gathered here this week at President Donald Trump’s eponymous golf club in sunny South Florida to toast the president, Vice President JD Vance and the party's takeover of the federal government.
But it's a question of when — not whether — the honeymoon will end.
During a three-day policy retreat at Trump National Doral Miami, Trump, Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and other top Republican leaders largely avoided getting into the weeds of how they plan to pass a sweeping package that will be the centerpiece of Trump's legislative agenda or how to pay for it.
Instead, the focus was on party unity one week into their control of Washington. The conference was filled with sunshine, palm trees and pool time, with ample opportunity for lawmakers to spend time together in a casual setting, rather than in contentious debates over government spending and legislative procedure.
Vance’s message to rank-and-file Republicans during a roughly hourlong visit was “Let’s work together to get much needed work done. Let’s solve disagreements together as part of a team,” said Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who attended the closed-door meeting.
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