House Republicans on Wednesday advanced a party-line budget plan and election-related measures backed by President Donald Trump in an effort to strengthen the party’s position ahead of the November midterm elections. In a series of votes, House Republicans also approved a partisan bill imposing limits on stock trading by members of Congress.

For years, watchdog groups have argued that lawmakers should not be allowed to profit from insider information gained through their work in Washington that could influence their personal investments. Many Democrats in both the House and Senate have pushed for a stricter bill drafted last year with support from lawmakers from both parties.

Until last month, Democrats had sought to change Senate rules to ban stock trading in the chamber by January 1, 2027. Republicans blocked the move, while House Republicans added a controversial provision linking election reforms to a stock trading ban, further complicating prospects for its implementation.

A study by Common Cause in December found that members of Congress from both parties carried out 13,324 transactions worth a combined $635.6 million over the previous year. The House action on Wednesday came just before the 435-member chamber began a five-week recess, which many lawmakers will use to campaign for reelection.


$95 Billion in New Spending
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The budget proposal passed by a vote of 216-214, clearing the way for Republicans to use a special procedure to push through $95 billion in new spending through the Senate by bypassing a rule designed to give the Democratic minority a voice in legislation.

If approved, the funds would be directed primarily to the Pentagon, with $60 billion allocated for the military, in addition to nearly $1 trillion already being prepared for defense spending this year as Trump wages a costly war with Iran.

House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington said during the debate that the funds would be used to “support our troops in their time of need,” describing the spending as necessary for battlefield readiness, including ammunition and equipment to complete missions and return home safely.

Democratic Representative Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, the top Democrat on the Budget Committee, called for the bill to be rejected, saying it would add nearly $100 billion to the budget deficit at a time when the national debt is approaching $40 trillion.

“Nothing lowers the price of gas, nothing lowers the price of food… just more spending on war,” Boyle said.

A nonpartisan committee warned that the $95 billion cost outlined in the Republican budget plan could effectively rise to $130 billion when interest payments on borrowed funds are included. The committee said lawmakers had repeatedly been asked to accept short-term shortcomings in exchange for promises that future legislation would reduce the deficit, but those commitments had not materialized.

In addition to military funding, the measure would provide $12 billion in new government aid to farmers affected by higher fuel and fertilizer costs resulting from Trump’s expanded tariffs on foreign goods.

Trump had been pressuring the Republican-controlled Congress to pass legislation imposing new restrictions on state election laws, including stricter voter identification requirements. Democrats have described the measures as “voter suppression” aimed at helping Republicans in the November elections.

The passage of the budget plan, despite the narrow margin, reflects Republicans’ determination to move forward with funding for the war with Iran and increased military spending despite warnings about rising deficits and mounting national debt. While the party hopes the move, alongside new voting restrictions, will strengthen its position ahead of the midterms, Democrats warn that the cost of the war will directly affect Americans’ finances, with neither side showing signs of backing down before the November vote.