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Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Report: The conservatives expected to cave on Trump's megabill
By As Congress barrels towards the self-imposed July 4th deadline to pass President Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' some Republicans are vowing a vote against it, potentially tanking the seismic signature legislation of the White House. Insiders on Capitol Hill think they're bluffing - and see most climbing aboard at the last possible moment. 'Most of these guys will eventually cave,' one House GOP aide told the Daily Mail. 'It's not about principles anymore, it's just thirsty members knowing how to get as much attention as possible.' A handful of Republicans in Congress have taken some issue with the current format of Trump's marquee policy agenda, called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB). Their bicameral concerns vary from the overregulation of AI , Medicaid cuts, rural hospital funding and deficit reduction. Republican Representatives Chip Roy, Andy Harris, Victoria Spartz and more were named by Capitol Hill sources as those most likely to flip and back the bill despite their noisy opposition. Harris and Roy, for example, threatened to hold up the OBBB in the House before ultimately voting for it in late May. This week, the Trump administration has ramped up the pressure, deploying a slew of social media posts by the president on top of visits from Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Capitol Hill. Once the Senate figures out its version and Trump decides to personally apply more pressure, Capitol Hill aides believe the hardheaded opposition will eventually melt away like a popsicle on a summer city sidewalk. 'The biggest bluffers are the Medicaid moderates,' a senior House GOP aide told the Daily Mail, adding that Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska is one of the Republicans most upset by Medicaid reforms. A former Senate GOP aide shared that most lawmakers will choose to avoid the president's wrath when the rubber meets the road. 'Of course most of the holdouts will eventually back President Trump and vote for the bill,' the former aide told the Daily Mail. 'Even though their constituents probably agree with a lot of their objections —they will rightly calculate that the political risk of drawing President Trump's ire or failing to stop huge tax hikes would far outweigh the reward of a protest vote.' The former staffer added: 'President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill will pass, warts and all.' The House passed its version of the OBBB in late May by just a single vote. Multiple Republicans defected at the time and voted against the over 1,000-page bill because it was not conservative enough. According to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the House-passed OBBB framework carries an eye-watering price tag of $2.4 - $2.77 trillion. Though that price is likely to change once the Senate finishes its version of the bill. Reps. Thomas Massie and Warren Davidson were the lone GOPers to vote 'no' on the bill over concerns on how the package will impact the deficit. The bill is now with the Senate, and the tweaks made by GOP lawmakers in the upper chamber have made some House members fume. In addition, the Senate Parliamentarian struck down key Republican provisions in the reconciliation bill, declaring they cannot remain in the bill due to Senate rules. One of those provisions slashed is meant to prevent illegal immigrants from collecting Medicaid - a move that has enraged many House lawmakers, and even prompted many to call for the parliamentarian's removal from her post. There are multiple internal GOP factions currently vying for different additions and cuts to the mega-bill. Many Republican moderates have expressed distaste with deep Medicaid cuts, members of the House Freedom Caucus - a conservative cohort of the lower chamber - are upset with the spending levels and lawmakers in blue states are most concerned with state and local tax (SALT) reforms. 'You have so many [Republicans] trying to inject themselves into the Senate's process by drawing red lines it's laughable,' the senior House GOP aide shared. 'It's true the Senate has had significant setbacks with the parliamentarian, but these House guys' posturing is setting themselves up for a rude awakening.' In the House, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is upset with an AI provision that would hamper states' ability to regulate the nascent tech. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris and Reps. Chip Roy and Ralph Norman, meanwhile, have decried the price tag of the overall bill. 'Chip Roy will for sure,' buckle and vote for the bill under pressure, the GOP House aide shared, adding that Harris would also fold. 'We didn't realize demanding fiscal responsibility, opposing trillion-dollar deficit hikes, and fighting swamp subsidies counted as 'bluffing,"' a source familiar with the HFC chairman responded. New York Republican Nick Lalota has said he's a 'no for now' until SALT reforms are made. Other 'bluffers' who will eventually back the OBBB despite previously voicing doubts include Rep. Victoria Spartz, Tim Burchett, Eric Burlison and Josh Breechen. 'The Senate version, as it stands currently, cuts out many of the key provisions from the House bill that the President wanted,' a spokesperson for Burchett told the Daily Mail. 'The Congressman always votes his conscience, and will continue to do so when it is time to vote on the OBBB.' Still, most House Republicans say they are flexible and are waiting to see the final text passed by the Senate. A crop of upper chamber Republicans are also making a fuss. GOP Sens. Josh Hawley, Thom Tillis, Lisa Murkoswki, Susan Collins and Jerry Moran have all expressed concern over a provider tax provision that could cut funding to rural hospitals. A Senate GOP aide told the Daily Mail Tillis, who faces re-election in 2026, will fold '100 percent.' 'He has to vote for it or else Trump will support a primary challenger,' they added, noting a longstanding feud between Trump and the North Carolina senator. As the Senate continues to finalize its version of the bill, time is running out. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said this week he hopes to have the chamber vote on the OBBB on Saturday, however, it's unclear whether the text of the measure will be ready. Should the Senate pass the bill by then, the House would have to sprint to align itself with all of the changes before July 4th on next Friday.
Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The big beautiful BLUFFERS: Here are the conservatives expected to cave on BBB once Trump cranks up the pressure
As Congress barrels towards the self-imposed July 4th deadline to pass President Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' some Republicans are vowing a vote against it, potentially tanking the seismic signature legislation of the White House. Insiders on Capitol Hill think they're bluffing - and see most climbing aboard at the last possible moment. 'Most of these guys will eventually cave,' one House GOP aide told the Daily Mail. 'It's not about principles anymore, it's just thirsty members knowing how to get as much attention as possible.' A handful of Republicans in Congress have taken some issue with the current format of Trump's marquee policy agenda, called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB). Their bicameral concerns vary from the overregulation of AI, Medicaid cuts, rural hospital funding and deficit reduction. Republican Representatives Chip Roy, Andy Harris, Victoria Spartz and more were named by Capitol Hill sources as those most likely to flip and back the bill despite their noisy opposition. Harris and Roy, for example, threatened to hold up the OBBB in the House before ultimately voting for it in late May. This week, the Trump administration has ramped up the pressure, deploying a slew of social media posts by the president on top of visits from Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Capitol Hill. Once the Senate figures out its version and Trump decides to personally apply more pressure, Capitol Hill aides believe the hardheaded opposition will eventually melt away like a popsicle on a summer city sidewalk. 'The biggest bluffers are the Medicaid moderates,' a senior House GOP aide told the Daily Mail, adding that Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska is one of the Republicans most upset by Medicaid reforms. A former Senate GOP aide shared that most lawmakers will choose to avoid the president's wrath when the rubber meets the road. 'Of course most of the holdouts will eventually back President Trump and vote for the bill,' the former aide told the Daily Mail. 'Even though their constituents probably agree with a lot of their objections —they will rightly calculate that the political risk of drawing President Trump's ire or failing to stop huge tax hikes would far outweigh the reward of a protest vote.' The former staffer added: 'President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill will pass, warts and all.' The House passed its version of the OBBB in late May by just a single vote. Multiple Republicans defected at the time and voted against the over 1,000-page bill because it was not conservative enough. According to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the House-passed OBBB framework carries an eye-watering price tag of $2.4 - $2.77 trillion. Though that price is likely to change once the Senate finishes its version of the bill. Reps. Thomas Massie and Warren Davidson were the lone GOPers to vote 'no' on the bill over concerns on how the package will impact the deficit. The bill is now with the Senate, and the tweaks made by GOP lawmakers in the upper chamber have made some House members fume. In addition, the Senate Parliamentarian struck down key Republican provisions in the reconciliation bill, declaring they cannot remain in the bill due to Senate rules. One of those provisions slashed is meant to prevent illegal immigrants from collecting Medicaid - a move that has enraged many House lawmakers, and even prompted many to call for the parliamentarian's removal from her post. There are multiple internal GOP factions currently vying for different additions and cuts to the mega-bill. Many Republican moderates have expressed distaste with deep Medicaid cuts, members of the House Freedom Caucus - a conservative cohort of the lower chamber - are upset with the spending levels and lawmakers in blue states are most concerned with state and local tax (SALT) reforms. 'You have so many [Republicans] trying to inject themselves into the Senate's process by drawing red lines it's laughable,' the senior House GOP aide shared. 'It's true the Senate has had significant setbacks with the parliamentarian, but these House guys' posturing is setting themselves up for a rude awakening.' In the House, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is upset with an AI provision that would hamper states' ability to regulate the nascent tech. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris and Reps. Chip Roy and Ralph Norman, meanwhile, have decried the price tag of the overall bill. 'Chip Roy will for sure,' buckle and vote for the bill under pressure, the GOP House aide shared, adding that Harris would also fold. 'We didn't realize demanding fiscal responsibility, opposing trillion-dollar deficit hikes, and fighting swamp subsidies counted as 'bluffing,"' a source familiar with the HFC chairman responded. New York Republican Nick Lalota has said he's a 'no for now' until SALT reforms are made. Other 'bluffers' who will eventually back the OBBB despite previously voicing doubts include Rep. Victoria Spartz, Tim Burchett, Eric Burlison and Josh Breechen. 'The Senate version, as it stands currently, cuts out many of the key provisions from the House bill that the President wanted,' a spokesperson for Burchett told the Daily Mail. 'The Congressman always votes his conscience, and will continue to do so when it is time to vote on the OBBB.' Still, most House Republicans say they are flexible and are waiting to see the final text passed by the Senate. A crop of upper chamber Republicans are also making a fuss. GOP Sens. Josh Hawley, Thom Tillis, Lisa Murkoswki, Susan Collins and Jerry Moran have all expressed concern over a provider tax provision that could cut funding to rural hospitals. A Senate GOP aide told the Daily Mail Tillis, who faces re-election in 2026, will fold '100 percent.' 'He has to vote for it or else Trump will support a primary challenger,' they added, noting a longstanding feud between Trump and the North Carolina senator. As the Senate continues to finalize its version of the bill, time is running out. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said this week he hopes to have the chamber vote on the OBBB on Saturday, however, it's unclear whether the text of the measure will be ready. Should the Senate pass the bill by then, the House would have to sprint to align itself with all of the changes before July 4th on next Friday. The president plans on hosting a ceremony at the White House on Independence Day to sign the landmark legislation, though if the Senate delays its vote - and therefore the vote in the House - Trump may not get his desired celebration. 'It's important. It's not the end all. We can go longer,' Trump said of the July 4th deadline for the OBBB on Friday. 'But, we'd like to get it done by that time if possible.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
House Freedom Caucus chair pans Senate GOP's ‘big, beautiful bill'
Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), the chair of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, is staking opposition to the Senate's version of the 'big, beautiful bill,' spelling trouble for the legislation's chances of clearing the House down the road. 'The currently proposed Senate version of the One Big Beautiful Bill weakens key House priorities—it doesn't do enough to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid, it backtracks on Green New Scam elimination included in the House bill, and it greatly increases the deficit – taking us even further from a balanced budget,' Harris wrote on the social platform X. The Freedom Caucus chair — who voted 'present' when the measure passed the House — said he will go a step further if the Senate's bill, without any changes, comes to the floor. 'If the Senate tries to jam the House with this version, I won't vote 'present.' I'll vote NO,' he added. The criticism comes as the Senate is racing to reach consensus on key sticking points in the sprawling tax cut and spending package, with GOP leaders pushing to meet their self-imposed July 4 deadline for enactment. Once the Senate clears the measure, the House will have to give it a final stamp of approval before it heads to President Trump's desk. The timeline, however, is hanging in the balance as hard-line conservatives — like Harris — and moderate Republicans in the House balk at changes the Senate made to the legislation. The Senate Finance Committee released its part of the 'big, beautiful bill' last week, unveiling changes that toughen Medicaid cuts, ease the rollback of green-energy tax credits and drastically decrease the state and local tax deduction cap — alterations that are prompting concerns among a diverse group of Republicans. Hard-liners like Harris have been most incensed with the green-energy tax credits and what they see as insufficient spending cuts in the Senate's version of the bill. The legislation, for example, appears to eliminate a provision that would have required climate-friendly energy sources to begin construction within 60 days of the bill's enactment to qualify for the credits, which was considered one of the most stringent energy conditions in the bill. Instead, the Senate's measure requires projects, including solar panels and wind farms, to start construction by the end of this year to receive the full credit. After the House vote, Freedom Caucus members warned that they would not support a Senate bill if it weakened their core provisions, a warning shot across the Capitol. In the lead-up to that vote, however, hard-line conservatives were vocal in voicing their opposition to the legislation, arguing that they needed days — not hours — to correct their qualms. When the bill came to the floor, however, everyone in the group except Harris voted 'yes,' prompting questions about how long the group will continue its opposition this time around. Several members credited their support to last-minute assurances they received from the White House. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
4 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
House Freedom Caucus chair pans Senate GOP's ‘big, beautiful bill'
Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, is staking opposition to the Senate's version of the 'big, beautiful bill,' spelling trouble for the legislation's chances of clearing the House down the road. 'The currently proposed Senate version of the One Big Beautiful Bill weakens key House priorities—it doesn't do enough to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid, it backtracks on Green New Scam elimination included in the House bill, and it greatly increases the deficit – taking us even further from a balanced budget,' Harris wrote in X. The Freedom Caucus chair — who voted 'present' when the measure passed the House — said he will go a step further if the Senate's bill, without any changes, comes to the floor. 'If the Senate tries to jam the House with this version, I won't vote 'present.' I'll vote NO,' he added. The criticism comes as the Senate is racing to reach consensus on key sticking points in the sprawling tax cut and spending package, with GOP leaders pushing to meet their self-imposed July 4 deadline for enactment. Once the Senate clears the measure the House will have to give it a final stamp of approval before it heads to President Trump's desk. The timeline, however, is hanging in the balance as hardline conservatives — like Harris — and moderate Republicans in the House balk at changes the Senate made to the legislation. The Senate Finance Committee released its part of the 'big, beautiful bill' last week, unveiling changes that toughen Medicaid cuts, ease the rollback of green-energy tax credits and drastically decrease the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap — a trio of alterations that are prompting concerns among a diverse group of Republicans. Hardliners like Harris have been most incensed with the green-energy tax credits and what they see as insufficient spending cuts in the Senate's version of the bill. The legislation, for example, appears to eliminate a provision that would have required climate-friendly energy sources to begin construction within 60 days of the bill's enactment to qualify for the credits, which was considered one of the most stringent energy conditions in the bill. Instead, the Senate's measure requires projects, including solar panels and wind farms, to start construction by the end of this year to receive the full credit. After the House vote, Freedom Caucus members warned that they would not support a Senate bill if it weakened their core provisions, a warning shot across the Capitol. In the lead-up to that vote, however, hardline conservatives were vocal in voicing their opposition to the legislation, arguing that they needed days — not hours — to correct their qualms. When the bill came to the floor, however, everyone in the group except Harris voted 'yes,' prompting questions about how long the group will continue its opposition this time around. Several members credited their support to last-minute assurances they received from the White House.
Newsweek
17-06-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Republican Congressman Calls On Trump To Expand Work Visas
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Republican Congressman has called on President Donald Trump to expand work visas after the administration's back-and-forth over its immigration enforcement policy targeting farms, hotels and restaurants. Maryland Representative Andy Harris, who chairs the House Freedom Caucus, said Tuesday that the president and Congress needed to make an effort to maintain the U.S. workforce while deporting immigrants with criminal records. His comments came after Trump said Thursday that he had heard concerns about workplace raids on farms and at hospitality venues, including restaurants and hotels, signaling a pause in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions. This was then walked back Monday night. "There has to be an effort to figure out how to make sure that we have the workforce we need, whether it's H-2A, H-2B, whether it's, again, a different category that will result in having an adequate number of workers here in the United States to keep the economy going," Harris told reporters. "The president acknowledged it. I believe that now may be the time to have Congress, again, look at these categories, revise the categories, create new categories as necessary as the president, again, attempts to deport people who are here, especially criminals who are here illegally. Clearly, the workforce issues are significant." Why It Matters Harris's comments reflect a growing concern among the GOP that labor shortages in critical industries could worsen without reforms to temporary work visa programs. The H-2A and H-2B visas allow U.S. employers to bring in foreign workers for seasonal agricultural and non-agricultural jobs, respectively. Trump has pledged to launch the largest mass deportation effort in U.S. history as part of his strategy to tackle illegal immigration and strengthen border security. However, the proposal has raised concerns about its impact on the U.S. economy. A group of Mexican H-2A seasonal farm workers harvest cucumbers in Eastern North Carolina, June 30, 2023. Inset: U.S. Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) leaves a House Republican caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on June... A group of Mexican H-2A seasonal farm workers harvest cucumbers in Eastern North Carolina, June 30, 2023. Inset: U.S. Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) leaves a House Republican caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on June 04, 2025 in Washington, DC. More Milton Lindsay/What To Know According to the American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC), agricultural production could decline by $30 billion to $60 billion if Trump's deportation policy is fully enacted, while the American Immigration Council projects that the president's mass deportation policy could carry a one-time cost of $315 billion. Trump appeared to have heard some of those concerns when he posted on Truth Social last Thursday, but the pause on ICE workplace raids was then lifted on Monday. Harris said Tuesday that the president clearly realized that deporting known illegal immigrant criminals could run in parallel to improvements to work-based visas to ensure U.S. businesses could keep running. "With an unemployment rate of 4 percent, you're not going to find American workers for a lot of these tasks," Harris said. "You haven't found them even when the unemployment rate was higher." Alongside Harris at the ABIC briefing were restaurant and farming leaders, also concerned about ICE raids, who want to see long-term solutions. The Republican said others in Congress were aware that a long-term solution was needed to make sure farm workers could continue coming to the U.S. legally and that he hoped for progress within the next year. Other recent attempts to make significant changes to U.S. immigration laws have failed, with no major changes since the early 1990s. What People Are Saying President Trump wrote on Truth Social last week: "Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace." Rebecca Shi, CEO, American Business Immigration Coalition told reporters on Jun 17: "We need Congress and the administration to go further with real solutions, and that's work visas for people who've lived, worked, and pay taxes here." Matt Teagarden, CEO of Kansas Livestock Association, speaking at Tuesday's briefing: "These raids disrupt our food supply and contribute to higher food prices. In addition to the workers who have been detained, they also instill fear in these communities, even for legal workers. We're encouraged by the President's recognition of the need for a balanced approach to this issue." What Happens Next The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reversed last week's guidance that had temporarily halted workplace immigration raids at farms, hotels, and restaurants.
