GOP Senator Declares His Own Party is 'Betraying' Americans If They Vote for Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill'
North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis took to the Senate floor Sunday to warn against the spending bill, particularly focusing on the bill's proposed cuts to Medicaid. The senator stated that "Republicans are about to make a mistake on healthcare and betraying a promise" to their constituents by not truly protecting their interests.
"It is inescapable that this bill in its current form will betray the very promise that Donald J. Trump made in the Oval Office or in the Cabinet room when I was there with finance. He said, 'We can go after waste, fraud and abuse' on any programs," Tillis said.
"Now, those amateurs that are advising him ... refuse to tell him that those instructions that were to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse, all of a sudden eliminates a government program that's called the provider tax. We have morphed a legal construct that admittedly has been abused and should be eliminated into waste, fraud and abuse, money laundering. Read the code. Look how long it's been there," the senator continued.
Tillis then spoke directly to the president, saying "you have been misinformed." The Republican added that the bill "will hurt people who are eligible and qualified for Medicaid."
"I love the work requirement. I love the other reforms in this bill. They are necessary, and I appreciate the leadership of the House for putting it in there," Tillis said. "But what we're doing, because we have a view of an artificial deadline on July 4, that means nothing but another date in time. We could take the time to get this right if we lay down the House mark of the Medicaid bill and fix it."
Tillis voted against advancing the spending bill on Saturday. The next day, he announced he would not be seeking re-election to the upper chamber of Congress.
"I look forward to having the pure freedom to call the balls and strikes as I see fit and representing the great people of North Carolina to the best of my ability," he wrote in an announcement to X.
President Donald Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to celebrate this news.
"Great News! 'Senator' Thom Tillis will not be seeking reelection," he wrote.
Originally published on Latin Times
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Int'l Business Times
an hour ago
- Int'l Business Times
US Halting Some Shipments Of Military Aid To Ukraine
The White House said Tuesday it is halting some key weapons shipments to Ukraine that were promised under the Biden administration for Kyiv's battle against the Russian invasion. Stopping the delivery of munitions and other military aid including air defense systems likely would be a blow to Ukraine as it contends with some of Russia's largest missile and drone attacks of the three-year-old war. "This decision was made to put America's interests first following a DOD (Department of Defense) review of our nation's military support and assistance to other countries across the globe," White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told AFP in an email. The curtailment of military aid signals a possible shift in the priorities of US President Donald Trump, who has pressed for Russia and Ukraine to speed up stalled peace talks. The Republican has moved on to playing a greater role in orchestrating a possible ceasefire in Gaza and toning down Iran-Israel tensions after a deadly 12-day conflict between the arch foes. The Pentagon review determined that stocks had become too low on some previously pledged munitions, and that some pending shipments now would not be sent, said a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity, according to Politico which first reported the halt of military aid. "The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned -- just ask Iran," Kelly said, making a reference to the recent US bombings and missile strikes against the Islamic republic's nuclear facilities. Politico and other US media reported that missiles for Patriot air defense systems, precision artillery and Hellfire missiles are among the items being held back. Last week at a NATO summit in the Netherlands, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Trump and appeared to get a vague response from the US leader on Patriot air defense systems. "We're going to see if we can make some available," Trump said of the missiles that Kyiv desperately seeks to shoot down Russian attacks. "They're very hard to get," Trump added. Asked by AFP for comment on the halt of shipments and why it was occurring, the Pentagon did not respond directly. But its chief spokesman Sean Parnell said "America's military has never been more ready and more capable thanks to President Trump and Secretary (Pete) Hegseth's leadership."
Int'l Business Times
2 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Deal Or No Deal: What Happens With Trump's July Tariff Deadline?
A week before US President Donald Trump reimposes steep tariffs on dozens of economies, including the EU and Japan, many are still scrambling to reach a deal that would protect them from the worst. The tariffs taking effect July 9 are part of a package Trump imposed in April citing a lack of "reciprocity" in trading ties. He slapped a 10 percent levy on most partners, with higher customized rates to kick in later in countries the United States has major trade deficits with. But these were halted until July to allow room for negotiations. Analysts expect countries will encounter one of three outcomes: They could reach a framework for an agreement; receive an extended pause on higher tariffs; or see levies surge. "There will be a group of deals that we will land before July 9," said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last Friday on CNBC. Policymakers have not named countries in this group, although Bessent maintains that Washington has been focused on striking deals with about 18 key partners. "Vietnam, India and Taiwan remain promising candidates for a deal," Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) vice president Wendy Cutler told AFP. Without a deal, Vietnam's "reciprocal tariff" rises from the baseline of 10 percent to 46 percent, India's to 26 percent and Taiwan's to 32 percent. Josh Lipsky, international economics chair at the Atlantic Council, cited Indian negotiators' extension of their US trip recently in noting that it "seems like a frontrunner." "Japan was in that category, but things have set back a little," Lipsky said, referring to Trump's criticism Monday over what the president called Japan's reluctance to accept US rice exports. The deals, however, will unlikely be full-fledged trade pacts, analysts said, citing complexities in negotiating such agreements. Since April, Washington has only announced a pact with Britain and a deal to temporarily lower tit-for-tat duties with China. Bessent has also said that countries "negotiating in good faith" can have their tariffs remain at the 10 percent baseline. But extensions of the pause on higher rates would depend on Trump, he added. "With a new government, (South) Korea looks well positioned to secure an extension," Cutler of ASPI said. Lipsky expects many countries to fall into this bucket, receiving an extended halt on higher tariffs that could last until Labor Day, which falls on September 1. Bessent earlier said that Washington could wrap up its agenda for trade deals by Labor Day, a signal that more agreements could be concluded but with talks likely to extend past July. For countries that the United States finds "recalcitrant," however, tariffs could spring back to the higher levels Trump previously announced, Bessent has warned. These range from 11 percent to 50 percent. Cutler warned that "Japan's refusal to open its rice market, coupled with the US resistance to lowering automotive tariffs, may lead to the reimposition of Japan's 24 percent reciprocal tariff." Trump himself said Tuesday that a trade deal was unlikely with Japan and the country could pay a tariff of "30 percent, 35 percent, or whatever the number is that we determine." Lipsky believes the European Union is at risk of having tariffs snap back to steeper levels too -- to the 20 percent unveiled in April or the 50 percent Trump more recently threatened. An area of tension could be Europe's approach to digital regulation. Trump recently said he would terminate trade talks with Canada -- which is not impacted by the July 9 deadline -- in retaliation for the country's digital services tax, which Ottawa eventually said it would rescind. This week, EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic is in Washington in a push to seal a trade deal, with the EU commission having received early drafts of proposals that officials are working on.
DW
4 hours ago
- DW
Middle East: Trump urges Hamas to accept ceasefire plan – DW – 07/02/2025
US President Trump said Hamas should accept truce terms and that the situation would "only get worse." The call came after dozens of charities have called for an Israeli and US-backed Gaza aid group to be disbanded. US President Donald Trump said Israel agreed to finalize the terms of a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and called on the militant group Hamas to also accept a proposal created with the help of Qatari and Egyptian mediators. Should Israel and Hamas enact a temporary ceasefire, Trump said the time would be used to attempt to negotiate a permanent settlement to the war in Gaza. Meanwhile, aid groups and charities have called for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) to be disbanded. The GHF relies on private US security and logistics firms to bring supplies into Gaza, largely bypassing a UN-led system that Israel says allowed militants to divert aid. Since it began its work in late May, hundreds of people have been killed by gunfire at or around sites run by the group and guarded by the Israeli military. , US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Israel agreed to set terms for a 60-day ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. "Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War," Trump said on his Truth Social platform. Without specifying the proposed terms, Trump said he hoped the militant group Hamas would accept the ceasefire terms reached with the help of Qatari and Egyptian mediators. "The Qataris and Egyptians, who have worked very hard to help bring Peace, will deliver this final proposal," Trump wrote. "I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" The announcement came ahead of a scheduled meeting at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next Monday. The United States pushes for a truce in Gaza "sometime next week," President Donald Trump said. The Republican leader told reporters he hopes a ceasefire in the brutal war between Israel and Hamas can be in place before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the White House on July 7. "We hope it's going to happen, and we're looking for it to happen sometime next week," Trump said before leaving Washington for Florida. The quick end to Israel's 12-day war with Iran has sparked fresh hopes for a stop to the fighting in Gaza. More than 20 months of combat have left over two million people facing a dire humanitarian crisis. Trump has urged Israel to "make the deal in Gaza," but Israeli forces have kept up their offensive across the Palestinian territory. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Israeli army says it is reviewing an airstrike on a popular Gaza seafront cafe it claims targeted militants but that rescuers say has left 24 dead. In a statement to AFP, the army said it hit "several Hamas terrorists in the northern Gaza Strip." Gaza's civil defense reported that at least 24 Palestinians were killed and dozens more wounded when the Al-Baqa cafe, a busy spot along Gaza City's coastal promenade, was hit on Monday. An Israeli army spokesperson said "steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians using aerial surveillance" before the strike. "The incident is under review," he added. The Al-Baqa cafe and restaurant had become a regular gathering place for residents who have not been displaced by the conflict, surviving more than 20 months of war and heavy bombardment. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video At least seven Palestinians are confirmed dead after trying to reach aid late Monday and early Tuesday, hospitals report. Three people were shot dead by Israeli fire in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, while four others were killed in central Gaza. More than 65 people were wounded, according to Awda hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp and Al-Quds hospital in Gaza City, which took in the casualties. Local health officials say Israeli gunfire and airstrikes across the enclave have killed at least 112 people and injured more than 400 in the past 24 hours. Clusters of houses have been reported destroyed in Gaza City's Shejaia and Zeitoun districts, east of Khan Younis, and in the southern city of Rafah. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video More than 170 non-governmental organizations are calling today for a US- and Israeli-backed food aid plan in Gaza to be dismantled, saying it is putting civilians at risk of death and injury. Medical authorities in Gaza say more than 500 people have been killed in mass shootings near aid distribution centers or transport routes guarded by Israeli forces since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began operating in late May. The GHF relies on private US security and logistics firms to bring supplies into Gaza, largely bypassing a UN-led system that Israel says allowed militants to divert aid. The United Nations has called the plan "inherently unsafe" and a breach of humanitarian impartiality rules. By early afternoon in Geneva on Tuesday, where the joint declaration was released, 171 charities had signed the call for countries to press Israel to stop the GHF scheme and return to UN-coordinated aid deliveries. "Palestinians in Gaza face an impossible choice: starve or risk being shot while trying desperately to reach food to feed their families," the statement said. Groups backing it include Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council and Amnesty International. In response, the GHF told Reuters it has delivered more than 52 million meals in five weeks and said other humanitarian groups have had "nearly all of their aid looted." "Instead of bickering and throwing insults from the sidelines, we would welcome other humanitarian groups to join us and feed the people in Gaza," the GHF said. The NGOs accuse the GHF of forcing hungry and weak people to trek for hours, sometimes through active conflict zones, to reach food aid. The Israeli military acknowledged on Monday that Palestinian civilians have been harmed at aid distribution centers in Gaza, saying Israeli forces have been given new instructions after what it called "lessons learned." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Thanks for joining our Middle East blog!More than 170 charities have been calling for the US- and Israeli-backed food aid plan in Gaza to be scrapped, warning it's putting civilians in grave danger. Medical teams in Gaza have been reporting more than 500 deaths near aid routes since the private-run scheme began, with the UN insisting the plan has been breaching humanitarian rules. Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces says it is reviewing an airstrike on a Gaza beach cafe that killed 24 people. This blog will bring you the latest on the situation in the Middle East, including in Iran, Israel and Gaza.
