President-elect Donald Trump arrived in the US Senate on Wednesday aiming to unite Republicans around a strategy of tax cuts, border controls and increased fossil fuel production, 12 days before he returns to the White House.
Trump entered the United States Capitol for the first time since his supporters stormed the building on January 6, 2021, based on allegations of rigging the 2020 election.
He paid his respects with a visit to former President Jimmy Carter's casket in the Capitol lobby before meeting with Republicans, who hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate. President-elect Trump will attend the funeral of former President Carter on Thursday in Washington.
With narrow majorities in the Senate and House, Republicans have yet to agree on whether to pursue one bill containing his priorities, or two bills, and appear to have differing views on what the legislation should contain.
Some Republican senators have argued that they should split Mr. Trump's agenda into two bills, allowing them to get a quick hit on border and energy policy before tackling the thornier issue of taxes. Some House Republicans warn that, given their narrow majority, the two-step approach risks failing to pass a second bill that extends the tax cuts passed during President Trump's first term.
"We're looking at whether it's going to be one or two bills. Whatever it is, it doesn't matter, we're going to get the result," President-elect Trump told reporters as he walked into the Capitol.
They will also have to deal with how to offset the effects of the new tax cuts on the nation's growing $36 trillion debt.
In a possible sign of developments to come, Mr Trump had to intervene in the House of Representatives last week when Speaker Mike Johnson initially fell short of the votes needed for re-election to his top job. After nearly two hours of negotiations, a phone call from President-elect Trump helped sway two hard-line Republican opponents to back Mr. Johnson.
"None of this happens without White House leadership. The margin is just too small," Republican Sen. Thom Tillis told reporters. "President Trump takes on the role of captain for resolving the presidential vote. And we're going to need him to continue in that role to get these bills done. It makes sense."
On Friday, the president-elect will begin three days of meetings with House Republicans at his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida.
"He needs to hear what our impressions are in terms of how we're going to get to where we all want to go," said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, who hosted Wednesday's meeting.
Republicans aim to prop up Mr Trump's agenda using a complex legislative maneuver that will allow them to bypass Democratic opposition in the Senate. The Republican majority, 53-47 in the Senate, is too narrow to pass the 60-vote threshold needed in this chamber for most legislation.
In the House of Representatives, a 219-seat majority is expected to shrink to 217-215 after President-elect Trump takes office in less than two weeks. Two Republican lawmakers are poised to leave Congress and join his administration. VOA (A2 Televizion)
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