The Republicans on the Hill are preparing an ambitious agenda in the hope of completely conquering Washington

CNN
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Republicans on Capitol Hill are laying the groundwork to push through an ambitious agenda with newly elected President Donald Trump once they gain full control of Washington in January — a rare Republican Party trifecta that party leaders say is now within reach.

And this time they will be willing to use it.

Unlike Trump’s surprise victory in 2016, Republican Party and Senate leaders have been preparing for a possible Republican victory for months. Their goal is to quickly start crafting major pieces of the Trump administration’s agenda, starting with a major economic package focused on taxes, energy policy, border security and deregulation, according to two people familiar with discussions .

“We already started doing it because we realized how damaging a huge tax increase in 2026 would be,” Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, told CNN.

With Republicans winning control of the Senate, achieving Trump’s agenda will come down to whether the Republican Party retains a majority in the House of Representatives. CNN has not yet made a projection in the battle for control of the House of Representatives, while votes are still being counted in dozens of races. But major developments in Pennsylvania and Michigan have party leaders hopeful that a full breakthrough is in sight, and top Republicans confident they will maintain their slim majority.

Speaker Mike Johnson, who has consolidated power by furthering his close relationship with Trump, has spoken directly to the president-elect many times about what they can achieve in a Republican majority, according to a person familiar with the discussions.

Johnson and his leadership team have spent months holding policy meetings with committee leaders and stakeholders in the Senate, as they prepared broad lines of major legislation they could push through Congress without Democratic votes — the same way President Joe Biden did with Democrats two years ago.

Even with unified control of the Republican Party, there would be challenges for Republicans. One problem is the political math: Republicans in the House of Representatives believe that if they keep the majority, it won’t be much. Johnson – who is expected to retain his position as chairman – would have just a few votes left. And their current narrow majority is plagued by divisions and roadblocks.

But Trump will return to a Washington where both chambers will be filled with his allies. The House Republican Conference has become decidedly “Trumpian” over the past four years as its grip on the party has grown stronger, as one Republican put it. And Trump’s victory – with the newly elected president who has the majority vote advantage – also puts new weight behind his agenda in Republican circles.

“The Republican-controlled Congress will be able to govern much better under President Trump because we know he has a mandate from the most diverse group of Americans ever assembled,” Republican Rep. Tim Burchett told CNN.

Johnson formally launched his bid to keep his job as speaker on Wednesday in a letter to Republican lawmakers obtained by CNN. In the letter, Johnson explained how Republicans in the House of Representatives plan to work closely with Trump.

“To truly make America great again, we must start delivering results for its people from day one. In preparation, we have worked hard over the past year to be ready with a priority list of key conservative policy victories that we can achieve together with our Republican colleagues in the Senate, hand in hand with the new Trump administration,” Johnson wrote.

In a sign of the backchanneling and direct communication between Trump’s orbit and incoming allies in Congress, two key Trump allies, Mark Meadows and Steve Bannon, are expected to brief Republicans on the coming transition in the coming days, a source said. was familiar with the planning. CNN.

GOP leaders dream of another big tax package, as many tax provisions are set to expire at the end of 2025. Also on the table: possibly rolling back parts of President Joe Biden’s signature Inflation Reduction Act, a sweeping economic and climate bill that Democrats passed as they achieved unified government earlier in Biden’s first term, a source familiar with the matter said. was with the discussions to CNN.

House Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee have been meeting in working groups for months to iron out changes they would make to existing tax policy, New York Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis told CNN.

“It makes sense to start early and do our homework,” Malliotakis said.

The Republican Party’s messaging strategy — attacking Democrats over the cost of living, crime and the border — that has so far delivered victories in key House races across the country has also emboldened lawmakers to pursue an agenda which focuses on these issues.

“With a majority of 53 or 54 seats and a Republican majority in the House of Representatives, you do what you can do,” a Senate GOP aide told CNN of the plans underway if the Republican Party takes full control gets.

Republicans also see an opening on other big issues, such as the Republican Party’s hardline immigration proposals, which have stalled since passing the House last year as Senate Democrats and the Biden White House strongly opposed that plan .

But it wouldn’t be easy to pass a massive package through a closely divided House, even if Republicans hold all the levers of power. There are procedural hurdles, as Republicans would have to squeeze every piece of their legislation through the Senate’s shaky budget rules, which limits how many policies that have nothing to do with the budget can actually be passed.

Internally, Republicans are keeping an eye on a strategy that Democrats deployed two years ago: Biden and then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi held together a fragile coalition in Congress, mainly by making sure there was something for everyone to enjoy.

“We have learned a lot of lessons from the Democrats. How do you approve an important piece of legislation? Make sure everyone gets a bite,” said a senior GOP aide.

“The Democrats have shown how effective reconciliation can be. So I think you’re going to see momentum to do something similar,” the aide said, referring to a procedural move that could allow lawmakers to bypass the 60-vote threshold typically required to advance legislation in the Senate .

If Johnson retains control of the House of Representatives, he will have a lot more to do besides the tax deadline in 2025, including steering Congress away from a debt ceiling, which could hit in early summer.

And there may be more items left over from this year’s Lame Duck session. Congress still faces deadlines for bills to pass, such as a year-end spending bill and the farm bill, a massive package of food and agriculture programs.

Senate Republicans will also have to move quickly in the new year to confirm Trump’s cabinet and nominees, a process that could take quite some time.

Top of mind for Johnson and his Republican leadership team is the battle for government funding.

Before the current Congress ends, Johnson will have to cobble together his razor-thin majority through the spending battle – which will take place just before Christmas – where Democrats will likely use the process as their last chance to secure any political victory, if they are indeed Republicans. stick to the room.

It’s not yet clear whether Johnson will try to complete that bill during the lame duck — which would pave the way for Trump’s new administration — or postpone it until the next session of Congress, when Republicans would hold both chambers. can check.

And some of its own members may feel heartened by Trump’s clear victory.

Another high-profile Trump ally, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, warned that Republicans who stood in Trump’s way during his first term will not have the opportunity to do so again.

“I will not allow that, and neither will the American people who gave us this great opportunity to save this country,” Greene said posted on X.

CNN’s Danya Gainor contributed.