What's in Trump's Big Bill?            05/06 06:08

   Congress is deep into drafting President Donald Trump's big bill of tax 
breaks, spending cuts and beefed-up funding to halt migrants, but it's "bumpy," 
one Republican chairman says, with much work ahead to meet House Speaker Mike 
Johnson's goal of passing the package out of his chamber by Memorial Day.

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congress is deep into drafting President Donald Trump's 
big bill of tax breaks, spending cuts and beefed-up funding to halt migrants, 
but it's "bumpy," one Republican chairman says, with much work ahead to meet 
House Speaker Mike Johnson's goal of passing the package out of his chamber by 
Memorial Day.

   In fact, the tax cuts portion is still a work in progress. As are the 
reductions in Medicaid, food stamps and other mainstay government programs. 
Mostly, the Republicans, who have the majority in Congress, have made progress 
on parts that would increase spending, adding some $350 billion to the Pentagon 
and Homeland Security, including money for the U.S-Mexico border wall.

   "There are some bumps in the road," Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri, the 
Republican chairman of the powerful Ways and Means tax-writing committee, 
acknowledged on "Fox News Sunday."

   All told, some 11 committees in the House are compiling their bills, and 
about half have finished up. They are being approved at the committee level by 
Republicans, on party-line votes, with Democrats opposed.

   But some of the most-watched committees -- Ways and Means, Energy and 
Commerce and Agriculture -- have yet to act. Johnson himself acknowledged on 
Monday that his Memorial Day deadline may slip, but vowed "our timetable is on 
pace."

   Once all the committees are done, the different pieces of legislation will 
be rolled together at the Budget Committee into what Trump calls "one big, 
beautiful bill."

   If the House can pass the package, it next would go to the Senate, which is 
drafting its own version, for a final product by July 4.

   Democrats say they will fight what House party leader Hakeem Jeffries calls 
the "extreme Republican agenda."

   Here's a look at what's in and out, so far.

   Funding for 1 million migrant deportations, 20,000 new officers and the 
border wall

   Two of the committees handling immigration- and border security-related 
matters have wrapped up their legislation.

   Central to the Homeland Security Committee's bill is $46.5 billion to revive 
construction of Trump's wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, with some 700 miles 
of "primary" wall, 900 miles of river barriers and more.

   It would provide $4 billion to hire an additional 3,000 new Border Patrol 
agents as well as 5,000 new customs officers, and $2.1 billion for signing and 
retention bonuses.

   All told, the Homeland Security Committee approved $69 billion in new 
spending.

   At the same time, the Judiciary Committee, which handles interior 
immigration enforcement and legal proceedings, has also completed its $110 
billion bill.

   It would impose a $1,000 fee on migrants seeking asylum -- something the 
nation has never done, putting it on par with few others, including Australia 
and Iran.

   And there are more new fees proposed on various other legal paths to entry, 
including a $3,500 fee for those sponsoring unaccompanied children to enter the 
U.S., a $2,500 penalty if sponsors of unaccompanied children skip court 
appearances and a $1,000 fee for individuals paroled into the U.S.

   Overall, the plan is to remove 1 million immigrants annually and house 
100,000 people in detention centers. It calls for 10,000 more Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement officers and investigators.

   More money for the Pentagon and Trump's 'Golden Dome'

   The House Armed Services Committee was tasked with drafting legislation with 
$100 billion in new spending. But they did that and more, passing a bill with 
$150 billion for the Defense Department and national security.

   Among the highlights, it would provide $25 billion for Trump's "Golden Dome 
for America," a long-envisioned missile defense shield, $21 billion to restock 
the nation's ammunition arsenal, $34 billion to expand the naval fleet with 
more shipbuilding and some $5 billion for border security.

   It also includes $9 billion for servicemember quality of life-related 
issues, including housing, health care and special pay.

   Overhaul of the student loan repayment plans

   A wholesale revamping of the student loan program is the key to the 
Education and Workforce Committee's legislation, with $330 billion in budget 
cuts and savings.

   The proposal would replace all existing student loan repayment plans with 
just two: a standard option with monthly payments spread out over 10 to 25 
years depending on the amount borrowed, and a "repayment assistance" plan with 
monthly payments based on a borrower's income.

   The new income-based plan is generally less generous than those it would 
replace. Minimum payments for the lowest-income borrowers would be higher, and 
forgiveness would be provided after 30 years of payments instead of 20 or 25. 
The new repayment plans would take hold in July 2026.

   Among other changes, the bill would repeal Biden-era regulations that made 
it easier for borrowers to get loans canceled if their colleges defrauded them 
or closed suddenly.

   Federal employee pension cuts

   The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform targeted federal 
workers' pensions for a projected $50.9 billion in deficit savings over 10 
years.

   Most of the savings would come from requiring federal workers hired before 
2014 to pay more into the retirement system. They would have to match the 4.4% 
salary rate paid by federal workers hired since 2014.

   The committee also called for basing a retiree's annuity payment on their 
average top five earning years instead of the top three. And the committee's 
plan would eliminate a temporary, supplemental payment for newly retired 
federal workers who retire before they are eligible for Social Security.

   Republicans argued that federal employee retirement benefits outpace those 
in the private sector. But critics, including Rep. Michael Turner, R-Ohio, who 
voted against the committee's package, said changing a worker's pension during 
the middle of employment is wrong.

   Democrats said the change would result in less take-home pay for many 
middle-class Americans in the federal workforce.

   More drilling, mining on public lands

   The House Natural Resources Committee is set to meet Tuesday to consider its 
bill, which largely matches Trump's executive orders to open public lands and 
waters to more natural resource development.

   It would allow increased leasing of public lands for drilling, mining and 
logging while clearing the path for more development by speeding up government 
approvals. Royalty rates paid by companies to extract oil, gas and coal would 
be cut, reversing former President Joe Biden's attempts to curb fossil fuels to 
help address climate change.

   Oil and gas royalty rates would drop from 16.7% on public lands and 18.75% 
offshore to a uniform 12.5%. Royalties for coal would drop from 12.5% to 7%.

   The measure calls for four oil and gas lease sales in the Arctic National 
Wildlife Refuge over the next decade. It also seeks to boost the ailing coal 
industry with a mandate to make available for leasing 6,250 square miles of 
public lands -- an area greater in size than Connecticut.

   Republican supporters say the lost revenue would be offset by increased 
development. It's uncertain if companies would have an appetite for leases 
given the industry's precipitous decline in recent years as utilities switched 
to cleaner burning fuels and renewable energy.