Donald Trump has decided that now is the perfect time for congressional Republicans to do two things at once: pour an unprecedented amount of money into defense and attempt to impose voting restrictions that have about as much chance of passing as a snowball in July.
In a Wednesday Truth Social post that was equal parts command and caps lock, the president called on Republicans to "IMMEDIATELY advance and pass" a $350 billion reconciliation bill that would also include the Save America Act - a rightwing election overhaul that has been languishing in Congress for months like a forgotten Tupperware in the office fridge.
"No games, no delays, and no weak compromises! Do this ASAP," Trump wrote, apparently unaware that the Senate operates on a system of rules rather than presidential all-caps.
The problem, as is often the case when Trump makes demands, is that not all Republicans are on board. The president wants to use budget reconciliation - a handy legislative shortcut that lets the majority bypass the filibuster - to ram through his priorities. But some senators, including former Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins, have raised eyebrows.
"I think it's safe to conclude there will not be another reconciliation bill," McConnell said at a hearing this week, in what can only be described as a diplomatic way of telling the president to pump the brakes.
Collins agreed, noting that relying on a reconciliation bill for defense funding is "taking a terrible risk and creates instability." She prefers, presumably, the boring but functional approach of regular appropriations.
The $1.5 trillion defense spending request for fiscal 2027 includes some signature Trump touches: the "Golden Dome" missile defense system, a "golden fleet" of Trump-class battleships, and the F-47 next-generation fighter jet - the number 47 being a coincidence that definitely wasn't intentional.
As for the Save America Act, its prospects are grim. The bill would impose new voter ID requirements, mandate that states hand over voter rolls to the Department of Homeland Security, and make election officials personally liable if someone slips through the registration cracks. The Senate voted to debate it in March, then promptly forgot about it when it became clear the votes weren't there.
Even if included in the reconciliation bill, the policy changes likely violate the rules of the procedure, which is meant for spending and revenue measures, not election law makeovers. But hey, who's counting?