Senate Republicans move forward on Trump's tax bill, but final outcome is uncertain

Boston Globe

16 hours ago

By midday Sunday the Senate had rounded its 12th hour, more than halfway through the clerk's reading of the foot-high bill. There were hours still to go.
'Senate Republicans are scrambling to pass a radical bill, released to the public in the dead of night, praying the American people don't realize what's in it,' Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said after vote. 'If Senate Republicans won't tell the American people what's in this bill, then Democrats are going to force this chamber to read it from start to finish.'
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The slow-walking points to a difficult days ahead.
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Republicans, who have control of the House and Senate, are closer to passing Trump's signature domestic policy package, yet there is a long and politically uncertain path ahead to get the bill to Trump by the Friday holiday.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press
Republicans remain reluctant to give their votes, and their leaders have almost no room to spare, given their narrow majorities. Essentially, they can afford three dissenters in the Senate, with its 53-47 GOP edge, and about as many in the House, if all members are present and voting. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. had sent his colleagues home for the weekend.
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Trump, who has at times allowed wiggle room on his deadline, kept the pressure on lawmakers to finish. But the tense scene as voting came to a standstill for more than three hours let the internal discord play out in public.
In the end, Republicans Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Rand Paul of Kentucky opposed the motion to move ahead, joining all 47 Democrats. Trump noticed.
He threatened to campaign against Tillis, worried that Medicaid cuts would leave many without health care in his state. A new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the Senate version of the bill would increase by 11.8 million the number of people without health insurance in 2034..
Trump badgered Tillis again on Sunday morning, saying the senator 'has hurt the great people of North Carolina.' Later in the day, Tillis said he would not run again in 2026.
'In Washington over the last few years, it's become increasingly evident that leaders who are willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species,' he said in a lengthy statement.
Republicans are using their majorities to push aside Democratic opposition, but have run into a series of political and policy setbacks. Not all GOP lawmakers are on board with proposals to reduce spending on Medicaid, food stamps and other programs as a way to help cover the cost of extending some $3.8 trillion in Trump tax breaks.
Renewed pressure to oppose the bill came from Elon Musk, who criticized it as 'utterly insane and destructive.'
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If the Senate is able to pass the package in the days ahead, the bill would return to the House for a final round of votes before it could reach the White House. GOP leaders will need almost every one of their members on board.
Senator Susan Collins of Maine spoke US Capitol in on Saturday.
Aaron Schwartz/Photographer: Aaron Schwartz/Blo
Tax breaks and core GOP priorities
At its core, the legislation would make permanent many of the tax breaks from Trump's first term that would otherwise expire by year's end if Congress fails to act, resulting in a potential tax increase on Americans. The bill would add new breaks, including no taxes on tips, and commit $350 billion to national security, including for Trump's mass deportation agenda.
But the cutbacks to Medicaid, food stamps and green energy investments are also causing dissent within GOP ranks. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said the environmental rollbacks would amount to a 'death sentence' for America's wind and solar industries.
The Republicans are relying on the reductions to offset the lost tax revenues but some lawmakers say the cuts go too far, particularly for people receiving health care through Medicaid. Meanwhile, conservatives, worried about the nation's debt, are pushing for steeper cuts.
Democrats can't filibuster, but can stall
Using a congressional process called budget reconciliation, the Republicans can muscle the bill through on a simple majority vote in the Senate, rather than the typical 60-vote threshold needed to overcome objections.
Without the filibuster, Democrats in the minority have to latch on to other tools to mount their objections.
One is the full reading of the bill text, which has been done in past situations. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., forced a 2021 reading of a COVID relief package.
Other strategies the Democrats plan to use include using their full 10 hours of available debate time expected to launch later Sunday.
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And then the Democrats are prepared to propose dozens of amendments to the package that would be considered in an all-night voting session — or all-day, depending on the hour.
Vice President JD Vance was at the Capitol late on Saturday.
TIERNEY L. CROSS/NYT
A roll call full of drama
As Saturday's vote tally teetered, attention turned to Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who was surrounded by GOP leaders in intense conversation. She voted 'yes.'
A short time later, Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., drew holdouts Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming to his office. Vice President JD Vance joined in. The talks dragged on.
Then Vance led them all back in to vote.
Later, Scott said he had met with the president, adding, 'We all want to get to yes.'
Lee said the group 'had an internal discussion about the strategy to achieve more savings and more deficit reduction, and I feel good about the direction where this is going, and more to come.'
Associated Press writers Ali Swenson, Fatima Hussein, Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.