French President Emmanuel Macron is meeting with President Donald Trump Monday morning at the White House.

The meeting comes after Macron called for an emergency gathering of world leaders after the Trump administration excluded Europe from sitting at the negotiating table to settle the war between Ukraine and Russia.

Macron arrived at the White House around 8 a.m. local time Monday and has been inside now for several hours.

The two were expected to participate in a call with G7 leaders.

Today is the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Trump said Friday that Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer ‘haven’t done anything’ since 2022 to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

‘Trump, I know him. I respect him and I believe he respects me,’ Macron said the day before. ‘I will tell him: deep down you cannot be weak in the face of President (Vladimir Putin). It’s not you, it’s not what you’re made of, and it’s not in your interests.’

Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. 

A massive piece of legislation that House Republicans hope will advance a broad swath of President Donald Trump’s agenda is facing its final hurdle on Monday before a chamber-wide vote.

The House Rules Committee, the final gatekeepers for most bills before a House floor vote, is meeting to debate a measure that GOP leaders want to have on Trump’s desk by sometime in May.

The bill aims to increase spending on border security, the judiciary and defense by roughly $300 billion, while seeking at least $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion in spending cuts elsewhere.

As written, the bill also provides $4.5 trillion to extend Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) provisions, which expire at the end of this year.

It comes after the Senate held an all-night session to advance its own version of the Trump plan last week. In the Senate Republicans’ budget plan, the first reconciliation bill includes Trump’s priorities for border security, energy and national defense, while the second bill, to be drawn up later in the year, would focus on extending Trump’s tax policies from TCJA.

Since the commander in chief has already telegraphed his preference for House Republicans’ proposal, the Senate bill has been relegated to a de facto backup plan if the House is not able to pass its own. This much was relayed to senators by Vice President JD Vance last week as he gave them the White House’s blessing to push their bill forward, a source told Fox News Digital. 

Current margins dictate House Republicans can only lose one vote to still pass a bill without Democratic support.

Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., wrote on X Sunday night that she was against the bill as written.

‘Why I am a NO on the current version of the house budget instructions – I have a TRILLION DOLLAR QUESTION – where is the money – $1T? Interesting FACT: roughly 85% of spending is not ever even looked at by Congress – convenient if you would like to hide waste, fraud and abuse,’ Spartz announced.

Other Republicans have expressed concerns over the $880 billion in spending cuts under the Energy & Commerce Committee, which many have taken to mean at least some cuts to federal programs like Medicaid.

The House version of the bill differs from the Senate in that the latter version does not include funding for Trump’s tax cuts. Senate GOP leaders argue that splitting Trump’s priorities into two bills will allow the party to secure early victories on the border and defense, places where there is more agreement within the conference.

However, House Republican leaders contend that Republicans have not passed two reconciliation bills since the 1990s and under far more favorable margins.

Both chambers are contending with razor-thin margins and an ideologically diverse Republican conference as they look to make major conservative policy changes via the budget reconciliation process this year. 

By leveling thresholds for passage in the House and Senate at a simple majority, reconciliation allows the party in power to pass fiscal legislation without any support from the opposing side. The Senate has a two-thirds majority threshold to advance most measures.

It is not clear, however, whether Trump’s support for the House plan will be enough to get it over the line. 

The policy agenda of President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans is keeping Democrats up at night.

Literally.

If you snooze, you lose.

Or at least you might have missed the recent nocturnal front mounted by Democrats to oppose the GOP’s budget package.

It was the second overnight session in three weeks for the Senate. 

While you were sleeping last Thursday night – drifting into Friday – Democrats hoped their resistance to the president wasn’t a legislative lullaby.

In the overnight Senate session, Democrats forced two dozen votes over nearly nine hours on every subject under the moon.

‘The right to IVF,’ was an amendment offered by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill. 

‘Deficits and debt,’ came the proposal from Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., the top Democrat on the Budget Committee.

‘Public lands,’ was the focus for Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo.

‘Deadly and devastating wildfires,’ caught the attention of Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. 

‘The cost of housing,’ was the issue for Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va. 

‘Tax cuts,’ declared Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.

‘The FAA,’ said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the leading Democrat on the Appropriations panel.

However, Republicans threw a shuteye shutout.

The GOP-controlled Senate rejected every Democratic proposal all night long. 

Marathon voting sessions – often called ‘vote-a-ramas’ in the Senate – present an opportunity for the party out of power to engineer challenging votes for the other side. They like to put the majority on the spot with tough votes. Some amendments are even drafted with a specific senator in mind. Especially someone who might face a competitive bid for re-election in the next cycle.

Democrats tried to trip up Republicans with votes on tax cuts. They even compelled Republicans to weigh in on their support – or lack thereof – for Ukraine.

‘This amendment ensures continued support for the government of Ukraine to stand firm against Russian aggression. For three years, Ukraine has fought tooth and nail for its very survival heroically,’ said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee. 

Reed’s plan scored a brushback from Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss.

‘There’s no greater supporter of Ukraine in this Senate than I am. But this is not the right vehicle,’ argued Wicker on the floor at 12:34 a.m. ET Friday. ‘Passage of this amendment – though members might wish to – will make it harder to pass this very valuable budget.’

But it was lights out for Democrats as Republicans passed their budget framework just before dawn Friday.

The vote was 52-48. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the lone GOP nay.

‘We’re going to vote all night long to set up a bill to increase spending by $340 billion,’ argued Paul in a floor speech Thursday. ‘Senate Republicans are coming forward today to pass a budget to allow them to raise federal spending.’

Paul asserted that senators should vote on his amendment to cut spending rather than greenlight an outline to actually spend more on the military and border security. He also reminded his colleagues that the budget plan wasn’t binding. It was just an aspiration with no real money or spending reductions.

‘The talk of the savings is ephemeral. It isn’t real. Until Congress has the courage to vote on it, it has to be certified by a vote. If Congress doesn’t vote, it sort of wishes and washes around in the ether. And it may or may not wind up being savings,’ said Paul.

Democrats claimed they shined a spotlight on Republican political vulnerabilities via the overnight exercise. 

‘One amendment at a time, Democrats exposed Republicans’ true colors here on the Senate floor,’ bragged Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

But in the middle of the night. 

Did anyone see it?

Did anyone pay attention?

If a tree falls in the woods…

But now it’s up to the House to approve its plan. It tackles the same provisions which are in the Senate package. But it emphasizes tax cuts. It also has the support of Trump.

It will be hard to advance anything through the House.

‘If we don’t do our job, everyone’s taxes are going up. And so that is absolutely going to be catastrophic to the American people,’ said Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., on FOX Business.

Republicans hold a narrow majority in the House. It’s about the math. They can only lose a vote or two on any given day. And keep in mind that a key demand in this bill is to drive up military and border spending – but also reduce overall spending. Plus, renew tax cuts.

That’s why some skeptics say the only way is to tackle the entitlements. So-called ‘mandatory’ spending. This is spending that Congress doesn’t approve for each year. Based on laws passed years ago, the money for mandatory spending just floods out the door – based on what the government owes (such as interest on the debt) and who qualifies for particular entitlements. That’s why there’s a serious hunt for the triumvirate of ‘waste, fraud and abuse’ in federal spending. There simply isn’t enough money to trim from the ‘discretionary’ side of the ledger. That’s the money which Congress allocates on an annual basis to run the government. Mandatory spending dwarfs discretionary spending.

‘If we cut all of that, we still won’t balance the budget. We have a deficit of $2 trillion. We have got to touch our mandatory spending,’ said Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., on FOX Business.

That’s why securing an agreement to advance the package through the House is so tough. And the House and Senate must both advance the same plan to use budget reconciliation to skip over the filibuster.

If the House adopts its plan, the House and Senate could then work to sync up. The chambers could try to merge their respective plans in what’s called a conference committee. The House and Senate then must vote again to approve a blended measure, called a ‘conference report.’ Then they can go to the actual bill. And the House and Senate must also approve the same version of that.

Or, the sides could get involved in what we call parliamentary ping-pong. The Senate has passed its resolution. So it pings it over to the House The House then OKs its version, and pongs that over to the Senate. They bounce the ball back and forth across the Capitol Dome until one body or the other finally accepts one measure – whichever one it is.

Only then can they get to the actual substance of the underlying bill.

Quite a process to achieve a solitary ‘big, beautiful bill’ the president is pushing.

This enterprise is far from over.

And there’s another problem around the corner:

A bill to avoid a government shutdown is due by March 14. That’s where the real dollars can be found. Real spending can conceivably either go up, down or stay the same in that bill. A problem with government funding could disrupt the goal of the ‘big, beautiful bill.’

So while the action overnight was important, this enterprise is far from over.

And while last Thursday night – bleeding into Friday – was a long night, it likely means there are dozens of other very long nights ahead over the next few months.

Elon Musk, who is leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), warned federal workers on Monday morning that those who fail to return to the office will be placed on administrative leave.

‘Those who ignored President Trump’s executive order to return to work have now received over a month’s warning,’ Musk wrote on X, the platform which he also owns. ‘Starting this week, those who still fail to return to office will be placed on administrative leave.’ 

Musk’s warning comes after he announced Saturday that federal employees must report their accomplishments from the last week or face losing their jobs.

Musk said on Saturday that federal employees would receive an email directing them to list their accomplishments from the week prior, with the DOGE leader adding later that day that the assignment should take less than five minutes to accomplish. Employees have until 11:59 pm on Monday to send the list or lose their employment, according to emails regarding Musk’s directive that were sent by the Office of Personnel Management.

Mass confusion followed on the eve of the deadline as some agencies resisted the order, others encouraged their workers to comply, and still others offered conflicting guidance.

Several key U.S. agencies, including the FBI, State Department, Homeland Security and the Pentagon, which instructed their employees over the weekend not to comply.

The Department of Health and Human Services, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., instructed its roughly 80,000 employees to comply shortly after acting general counsel, Sean Keveney, had instructed some not to. Later Sunday evening, agency leadership issued new instructions that employees should ‘pause activities’ related to the request until noon on Monday.

Officials at the Departments of State, Defense and Homeland Security were more consistent.

The State Department reportedly told employees on Saturday that department officials ‘will respond on behalf of the Department,’ according to a message sent by Ambassador Tibor P. Nagy, who serves as acting under secretary of state for management.

The Department of Defense (DOD) told its civilian workforce to ignore the billionaire’s request, while Kash Patel, who was confirmed by the Senate last week as the new director of the FBI, also told employees to stand down.

While Musk and DOGE have been criticized for how they’re going about cutting federal spending, President Donald Trump on Saturday wrote on Truth Social that though Musk is ‘doing a great job,’ he should be ‘more aggressive.’

‘ELON IS DOING A GREAT JOB, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HIM GET MORE AGGRESSIVE. REMEMBER, WE HAVE A COUNTRY TO SAVE, BUT ULTIMATELY, TO MAKE GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE. MAGA!,’ Trump wrote.

Musk responded with an enthusiastic ‘Will do, Mr. President!’ hours after Trump posted.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and Andrea Margolis, along with The Associated Press, contributed to this report.

Newly-confirmed Small Business Administration (SBA) administrator Kelly Loeffler is unveiling the agency’s top priorities over the next four years as she aims to work with President Trump to create a ‘golden era of prosperity and growth.’ 

Loeffler, confirmed in the Senate by a 52–46 margin last week, issued a ‘Day One’ memo on Monday outlining the top priorities for the agency that will be tasked with the directive to ‘carry out President Trump’s America First agenda and empower small businesses to thrive’ and to become an ‘America First engine for free enterprise.’

The first priority on the list is promoting a ‘Made in America’ agenda to boost U.S. manufacturing.

‘The vast majority of America’s manufacturers are small businesses, and SBA programs have powered tens of thousands of them,’ the memo states. ‘This agency is committed to supporting the America First agenda by rebuilding American supply chains and investing in manufacturing to strengthen our economy and national security.’

‘The agency will transform its Office of International Trade into the ‘Office of Manufacturing and Trade’ – which will focus on promoting economic independence, job creation, and fair trade practices to power the next blue-collar boom. SBA will also partner across agencies to scale innovative manufacturing and technology startups that will help our nation return to ‘Made in America.’’

Since being sworn in as president for the second time, Trump has been vocal about eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) from the federal government while also tasking Tesla CEO Elon Musk with leading the effort to cut wasteful spending with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Loeffler’s memo states that the SBA intends to be an ally in both of those efforts and says it will enforce Trump’s executive orders, including ‘Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,’ ‘Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,’ and ‘Unleashing American Energy.’ 

The memo says that the SBA will ‘continue working closely’ with DOGE and ‘prioritize eliminating fraud and waste within the agency, to ensure American taxpayer dollars are utilized in the most productive way possible to benefit small businesses and economic growth and resilience.’

The agency will work to eliminate wasteful spending and fraud with a ‘zero-tolerance policy’ that will involve fraud investigations across all programs and appointing a ‘Fraud Czar’ to ‘identify, stop, and claw back criminally obtained funds on behalf of American taxpayers – working across agencies to prevent fraud.’

The SBA will also conduct an agency-wide financial audit.

‘As fraud has risen, so too have delinquencies, defaults, and charge-offs on loan programs, exacerbated by the previous Administration’s lax loan underwriting, servicing, and collection efforts,’ the memo states. ‘As a result, SBA has been unable to satisfactorily complete a financial audit for several consecutive years.Therefore, the agency will request an independent audit of its financials to address mismanagement, restore the credibility of financial statements, and preserve the solvency of public-private programs like the 7(a) lending program and the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program, which are designed to drive economic growth without taxpayer subsidy.’

Last month, Trump told federal employees working from home that they would need to return to the office or face termination, which is a sentiment echoed by Loeffler, who said in her memo that all non-exempt employees will report to work in person on Monday for five days a week. 

Trump’s immigration agenda will also be furthered by the SBA, according to the memo, which will ban illegal immigrants from receiving SBA assistance while also ‘restricting hostile foreign nationals from accessing SBA assistance.’

The memo outlines a variety of ways that the agency will work on ’empowering small businesses,’ including a strike force to cut regulations, improving customer service and cybersecurity, promoting fair competition, and relocating offices outside of sanctuary cities. 

Fox News Digital previously reported that the SBA has faced criticism in recent years during the Biden administration from the Republican-led Small Business Committee, which issued a subpoena and alleged that the agency failed to turn over information related to efforts to funnel resources to help register swing state voters. Republicans argued those efforts were unconstitutional, and Loeffler’s memo pledges that the registration efforts in question will be ended. 

‘The SBA will end all taxpayer-funded voter registration activities – starting by rescinding the agency’s 2024 MOU with the Michigan Secretary of State’s office, which forced SBA district offices to conduct partisan voter registration on behalf of the previous Administration,’ the memo states. ‘Instead, the agency will return its focus to its founding mission of empowering job creators, delivering disaster relief, and driving economic growth.’

Loeffler, who served as a senator in Georgia from 2020-2021, appeared before the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee on Jan. 28 to outline her vision and promised that Trump’s policies would ‘restore the small business economy’ and would lead to a ‘golden era of prosperity and growth.’ 

‘Small businesses are the backbone of our nation, driving innovation, job creation, and prosperity – and there’s no stronger advocate for small business than President Trump or myself. But over the last four years, the SBA has burdened entrepreneurs with bureaucracy – with its programs becoming mired in fraud, waste, and abuse,’ Loeffler told Fox News Digital in a statement.

‘That changes today. My first priority is rebuilding the SBA into an America First engine for free enterprise – by empowering small businesses and fueling economic growth.’

On the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, European leaders are showing support for Kyiv, while also expressing unease about the current state of the conflict with President Donald Trump’s administration at the negotiating table. 

The winner of Germany’s election on Sunday – conservative leader Friedrich Merz – has been a staunch backer of Ukraine.

‘More than ever, we must put Ukraine in a position of strength,’ Merz, whose victory was celebrated by Trump, posted to X on Monday. ‘For a fair peace, the country that is under attack must be part of peace negotiations.’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and some European leaders took issue with Kyiv being left out of talks between U.S. and Russian diplomats in Saudi Arabia last week geared toward ending the war. 

A dozen leaders from Europe and Canada were in Ukraine’s capital on Monday to mark three years since Russian troops invaded on Feb. 24, 2022.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were among visitors scheduled to attend anniversary events and discuss supporting Ukraine with Zelenskyy.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier – primarily the ceremonial head of state – said ‘peace and freedom in Europe demand of us that we support Ukraine resolutely.’

‘Germany stands firmly beside Ukraine, with humanitarian aid, with protection for refugees, with military support,’ Steinmeier said in the video message, parts of which were aired on Ukrainian television. ‘And we will not ease up as long as this illegal war lasts.’ Steinmeier reportedly planned to join a video summit Zelenskyy was holding Monday with leaders of supportive nations.

The anniversary comes amid escalating public tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy. 

‘I love Ukraine, but Zelenskyy has done a terrible job,’ Trump said Sunday. 

Trump also dubbed the Ukrainian leader ‘a dictator without elections,’ following Zelenskyy’s accusation that Trump is living in a Russian-made ‘disinformation space.’ In an interview with the Daily Mail, Vice President JD Vance warned that ‘the idea that Zelenskyy is going to change the president’s mind by badmouthing him in public media, everyone who knows the President will tell you that is an atrocious way to deal with this administration.’ 

Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton characterized Trump’s remarks as ‘shameful,’ while former Vice President Mike Pence condemned the president for suggesting that Ukraine was at fault in the war. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy mentioned speaking Sunday with Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. 

Trump had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and then Zelenskyy afterward, last week. Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg arrived in Kyiv last Wednesday to meet with Zelenskyy.

The European Union’s top diplomat insisted Monday that the U.S. cannot seal any peace deal to end the war with Putin without Ukraine or Europe being involved.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also highlighted what she claimed were pro-Russian positions being taken up by the Trump administration.

‘You can discuss whatever you want with Putin. But if it comes to Europe or Ukraine, then Ukraine and Europe also have to agree to this deal,’ Kallas told reporters in Brussels, where she is chairing a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

Kallas travels to Washington on Tuesday for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In terms of the U.S. message, she said it was ‘clear that the Russian narrative is there very strongly represented.’

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said Monday that the last few ‘turbulent weeks’ surrounding the push to bring an end to the war had brought European nations ‘face to face with history.’

‘Today marks the start of the fourth year of the terrible war. Let us hope that it also marks the beginning of the end,’ he said.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Europe needs ‘to make clear to the Russians and everyone else that there are a few things that are completely off the table in these negotiations.’ 

‘One is EU membership. It is not Russia who decides on EU membership, it is the European Union who does that. Two is NATO. It is not Russia that decides on NATO membership. It is the alliance itself,’ he declared.

‘We will see a European Ukraine. We will see eventually Ukraine in NATO,’ Stubb said. ‘We’ve seen a unified European Union and hopefully a stronger trans-Atlantic alliance in the long run. And on a day like this, I think it’s time to pave the way for a plan for Ukrainian victory.’ 

Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, notably suggested Sunday that Russia was ‘provoked’ ahead of the Ukraine invasion by increasing talks of Kyiv joining NATO. 

Czech President Petr Pavel said via remote link that he has ‘no doubt that the ultimate goal of this aggression has always been to wipe Ukraine as we know it off the map.’

‘Yet the resilience of the Ukrainian people has proven to be unbreakable,’ Pavel told the gathering of European leaders in Kyiv. ‘It deserves not only our admiration, but also our full respect. We all sincerely want peace in Ukraine and for its people, but not a peace at any cost.’

Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said Russia does not see any way to resume ‘dialogue with Europe’ after the European Union adopted its 16th round of sanctions against Russia on the third anniversary of the invasion. 

The measures include targeting Russia’s so-called ‘shadow fleet’ of ships that it exploits to skirt restrictions on transporting oil and gas, or to carry stolen Ukrainian grain. The EU said 74 vessels were added to its list. 

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the new sanctions also target ‘those who support the operation of unsafe oil tankers, videogame controllers used to pilot drones, banks used to circumvent our sanctions, and propaganda outlets used to spout lies.’ Asset freezes and travel bans were imposed on 83 officials and entities. More than 2,300 officials and entities have been hit since the invasion began, Putin. 

By adding new sanctions, European nations appear to be convinced that the war should continue, Peskov said.

This stands in contrast with searching for ways to resolve ‘the conflict around Ukraine which is what we are currently doing with the Americans,’ Peskov said.

Speaking about Russia’s changing relationship with the U.S., Peskov welcomed ‘attempts by Washington to really understand what was the root cause of this conflict.’

The U.N. General Assembly, meanwhile, is expected to vote Monday on dueling resolutions: Ukraine’s European-backed proposal demanding an immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from the country and a U.S. call for a swift end to the war that never mentions Moscow’s aggression, the Associated Press reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

House Republicans are eyeing reforms to federal benefits that would impose work requirements on a wider swath of Americans.

Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., chair of the right-wing pragmatist Main Street Caucus, is planning to introduce the ‘America Works Act of 2025,’ Fox News Digital has learned.

The bill would mandate that childless, able-bodied Americans on the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) – colloquially known as food stamps – between the ages of 18 and 65 take on at least 20 hours per week of work or work-related education.

Adults with a dependent child under age 7 would be exempt, according to a summary provided to Fox News Digital.

‘Able-bodied people who can work should work if we want to continue to have our welfare programs be pathways out of poverty,’ Johnson told Fox News Digital in an interview. ‘There is no reliable path out of poverty that doesn’t have work, training and education at its core.’

It comes as House Republicans get ready to negotiate on how to meet spending cut targets in their plans to move President Donald Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process.

By leveling the threshold for passage in the House and Senate at a simple majority, reconciliation allows the party in power to pass budgetary or other fiscal priorities in a massive piece of legislation with zero support from lawmakers on the opposing side. The threshold for passage in the Senate is otherwise two-thirds for most items.

GOP lawmakers are looking to accomplish a wide swath of Trump policies, from more funding for the border wall and detention beds to eliminating taxes on tipped and overtime wages.

To offset the cost of that spending, the House’s reconciliation framework directs several committees to find areas for spending cuts. The House Committee on Agriculture, which oversees SNAP, must aim to cut at least $230 billion in spending.

The new bill gives the Department of Agriculture (USDA), which oversees food stamps, the ability to exempt people who live in counties where the unemployment rate exceeds 10%.

Two sources familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital that Johnson’s bill closely resembles what will end up in Republicans’ reconciliation bill.

When asked about cost projections, however, Johnson emphasized that his bill was motivated by social rather than fiscal change.

‘It would be expected to be a major cost-savings, and while I think that’s important, my primary motivator is how much work requirements have proven to improve lives as opposed to how much money they save,’ he said. ‘I want people to escape poverty.’

Currently, adults aged 18 to 54 can receive three months of SNAP benefits in three years at most before a requirement kicks in to work at least 80 hours per month.

Johnson’s bill would also strip present exemptions for young adults who recently aged out of foster care and for veterans. Those were included during bipartisan negotiations on raising the debt limit in 2023, as part of the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

‘The concessions we had to make in the Fiscal Responsibility Act to get things done were not helpful changes,’ Johnson said when asked about the change.

‘It was just telling all veterans and all young adult former foster kids that the work requirements didn’t apply to them, and that’s not actually helpful to getting them to a better financial path.’

He pointed out there would still be exceptions for pregnant women, people with disabilities, people living in high-unemployment counties, and others.

‘My bill would go back to the way it was before, which is the same eligibility requirements applied to veterans and foster kids are applied to everybody else,’ he said.