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The Hill
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
House GOP fumes over Senate megabill: ‘How did it get so much f‑‑‑ing worse?'
Moderate Republicans and hard-line conservatives in the House are expressing increasing opposition to the Senate's version of the 'big, beautiful bill' just days before the lower chamber is set to consider the legislation, a daunting dynamic for GOP leaders as they race to meet their self-imposed Friday deadline. The Senate on Monday kicked off the hours-long vote-a-rama with members considering a series of amendments that could be make-or-break for support in the lower chamber, including changes to Medicaid cuts and tax provisions. The upper chamber is expected to vote on final passage early Tuesday morning. As House lawmakers anxiously watch the Senate's deliberations, they are fuming about the state of the legislation. 'On the text chains, on the phone calls, everyone is complaining,' one moderate House Republican, who requested anonymity to discuss the private conversations, told The Hill. 'There's a few little provisions people will say something positive about, but no one is happy with the Senate version.' 'It's amazing to a lot of us — how did it get so much f‑‑‑ing worse?' they added. Live updates: Senate debating Trump's megabill in hours-long vote-a-rama The lawmaker said GOP leadership and the White House are making calls to skeptical Republicans and that members in more conservative districts are reaching out to moderates to raise issues with some provisions — underscoring the depth of concerns within the conference. At least six moderate House Republicans are planning to vote 'no' on the Senate bill in its current form, The Hill has learned, as they air concerns about changes to Medicaid and the rollback of green energy tax credits, among other provisions. The Senate bill includes a proposal that would effectively cap provider taxes at 3.5 percent by 2031, down from the current 6 percent, but only for the states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. On green energy tax credits, the rollback of the subsidies is a bit less harsh in the Senate bill, but the upper chamber's version adds a new tax on solar and wind projects if a certain percentage of their components come from China. Reps. David Valadao (R-Calif.), Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) and Young Kim (R-Calif.) are currently a 'no' on the legislation because of those provisions, in addition to two other moderate Republicans who requested anonymity to discuss their opinions on the bill. Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), meanwhile, said he is against the Senate's cut of the bill because of language involving the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap. 'I think it's just bad public policy,' Van Drew said earlier this month, after the Senate unveiled its language. 'If you hurt these hospitals some will close, some people will have to utilize emergency rooms even more. … This is political stupidity; it's political suicide.' For now, moderates are closely watching for a vote on an amendment introduced by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) that would prevent new enrollees in Medicaid expansion states from receiving the 9-to-1 enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) if they are nondisabled and do not have dependent children, a change that would cut spending for the social safety net program by an additional $313 billion. The amendment is unlikely to muster enough support to pass, though Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is backing the change as part of a deal to help get Scott and other GOP holdouts on board for the procedural vote Saturday. House moderates, meanwhile, are quietly hoping the tweak does squeak through, since it will make the package dead-on-arrival in the House. A number of lawmakers in the lower chamber have said the provision is a red line for them. 'Most of us want the FMAP amendment to pass, so it'll just be the final nail in the coffin,' the previously quoted lawmaker said. On the other side of the ideological spectrum are conservative Republicans enraged over the level of spending cuts in the bill and, as a result, its deficit impact. The conservative House Freedom Caucus, which includes several critics of the bill, sent a shot across the bow Monday. 'The House budget framework was clear: no new deficit spending in the One Big Beautiful Bill. The Senate's version adds $651 billion to the deficit — and that's before interest costs, which nearly double the total,' the group wrote on social platform X. 'That's not fiscal responsibility. It's not what we agreed to.' 'The Senate must make major changes and should at least be in the ballpark of compliance with the agreed upon House budget framework,' it added. 'Republicans must do better.' Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), one of the most vocal members of the group who had been airing concerns with the bill throughout the weekend, said he has been having conversations with the White House — which he dubbed 'intense fellowship' — but those discussions do not appear to have done enough to bring him on board. 'I know the president has a great agenda that will get things moving again. I want to accelerate that. I want the border money. I want to vote yes, but I can't vote yes just because they say I have to,' Roy said on 'The Dana Show.' 'I can't vote yes just because everybody says we got to get it done by July 4. I have a responsibility to look at this objectively and say guys, are you doing the right math? And I will just tell you right now, I don't think the math is correct yet.' Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas), another member of the group, sounded a similar note, saying he wants the Senate to return to the House framework — and floating possibly voting against the procedural rule when the measure works its way through the House. 'I think the commitment is to get back to the House framework,' Self said. 'That's what everybody's committed to, I know that's what the Speaker has been talking to the Senate majority leader about, so we'll see what happens.' The concerns from both ends of the GOP conference are growing more pronounced as Republican leaders — under pressure from President Trump — race to complete work on the package by their self-imposed July 4 deadline, which arrives Friday. The Senate is expected to hold a final vote on the legislation early Tuesday morning, once the arduous vote-a-rama process wraps up. If the bill passes, the House Rules Committee could convene as early as Tuesday at noon to take up the legislation, members on the panel were told, according to a source, kickstarting the process in the lower chamber. Floor votes could then be held as early as Wednesday at 9 a.m., House Majority Whip Tom Emmer's (R-Minn.) office told lawmakers Sunday night. As leaders plow full-steam ahead, some lawmakers are hitting the breaks, recommending that the party push back its timeline to continue deliberations. 'So rather than forcing it through this week, we should have the conversations we need to with the Senate, see what they do, review the bill, find where we can find savings, find where we can adjust what we're doing on tax policy and make the map actually add up,' Roy said Monday.
The Hill
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
House GOP fumes over Senate megabill: ‘How did it get so much f—ing worse?'
Moderate Republicans and hardline conservatives in the House are expressing increasing opposition to the Senate's version of the 'big, beautiful bill' just days before the lower chamber is set to consider the legislation, a daunting dynamic for GOP leaders as they race to meet their self-imposed Friday deadline. The Senate on Monday kicked off the hours-long vote-a-rama with members considering a series of amendments that could make-or-break support in the lower chamber, including changes to Medicaid cuts, tax provisions and more. The upper chamber is expected to vote on final passage early Tuesday morning. As House lawmakers anxiously watch the Senate's deliberations, they are fuming about the state of the legislation. 'On the text chains, on the phone calls, everyone is complaining,' one moderate House Republican, who requested anonymity to discuss the private conversations, told The Hill. 'There's a few little provisions people will say something positive about, but no one is happy with the Senate version.' 'It's amazing to a lot of us — how did it get so much f—ing worse?' they added. The lawmaker said GOP leadership and the White House are making calls to skeptical Republicans, and that members in more conservative districts are reaching out to moderates to raise issues with some provisions — underscoring the depth of concerns within the conference. At least six moderate House Republicans are planning to vote 'no' on the Senate bill in its current form, The Hill has learned, as they air concerns about changes to Medicaid and the rollback of green-energy tax credits, among other provisions. The Senate bill includes a proposal that would effectively cap provider taxes at 3.5 percent by 2031, down from the current 6 percent, but only for the states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. On green-energy tax credits, the rollback of the subsidies is a bit less harsh in the Senate bill, but the upper chamber's version adds a new tax on solar and wind projects if a certain percentage of their components come from China. Reps. David Valadao (R-Calif.), Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) and Young Kim (R-Calif.) are currently a 'no' on the legislation because of those provisions, in addition to two other moderate Republicans who requested anonymity to discuss their opinions on the bill. Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), meanwhile, said he is against the Senate's cut of the bill because of language involving the state-and-local tax (SALT) deduction cap. 'I think it's just bad public policy,' Van Drew said earlier this month, after the Senate unveiled its language. 'If you hurt these hospitals some will close, some people will have to utilize emergency rooms even more… This is political stupidity; it's political suicide.' For now, moderates are closely watching for a vote on an amendment introduced by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) that would prevent new enrollees in Medicaid expansion states from receiving the nine-to-one enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) if they are nondisabled and do not have dependent children, a change that would cut spending for the social safety net program by an additional $313 billion. The amendment is unlikely to muster enough support to pass, though Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is backing the change, as part of a deal to help get Scott and other GOP holdouts on board for a procedural vote on Saturday. House moderates, meanwhile, are quietly hoping the tweak does squeak through, since it will make the package dead-on-arrival in the House. A number of lawmakers in the lower chamber have said the provision is a red-line for them. 'Most of us want the FMAP amendment to pass so it'll just be the final nail in the coffin,' the previously quoted lawmaker said. On the other side of the ideological spectrum are conservative Republicans enraged over the level of spending cuts in the bill and, as a result, its deficit impact. The conservative House Freedom Caucus, which includes several critics of the bill, sent a shot across the bow on Monday. 'The House budget framework was clear: no new deficit spending in the One Big Beautiful Bill. The Senate's version adds $651 billion to the deficit — and that's before interest costs, which nearly double the total,' the group wrote on X. 'That's not fiscal responsibility. It's not what we agreed to.' 'The Senate must make major changes and should at least be in the ballpark of compliance with the agreed upon House budget framework,' it added. 'Republicans must do better.' Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), one of the most vocal members of the group who had been airing concerns with the bill throughout the weekend, said he has been having conversations with the White House — which he dubbed 'intense fellowship' — discussions that do not appear to have done enough to bring him on board. 'I know the president has a great agenda that will get things moving again. I want to accelerate that. I want the border money. I want to vote yes, but I can't vote yes just because they say I have to,' Roy said on The Dana Show. 'I can't vote yes just because everybody says we got to get it done by July 4th. I have a responsibility to look at this objectively and say guys, are you doing the right math? And I will just tell you right now, I don't think the math is correct yet.' Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas), another member of the group, sounded a similar note, saying he wants the Senate to return to the House framework — and floating possibly voting against the procedural rule when the measure works its way through the House. 'I think the commitment is to get back to the House framework,' Self said. 'That's what everybody's committed to, I know that's what the Speaker has been talking to the Senate majority leader, about so we'll see what happens.' The concerns from both ends of the GOP conference are growing more pronounced as Republican leaders — under pressure from President Trump — race to complete work on the package by their self-imposed July 4 deadline, which arrives on Friday. The Senate is expected to hold a final vote on the legislation early Tuesday morning, once the arduous vote-a-rama process wraps up. If the bill passes, the House Rules Committee could convene as early as Tuesday at noon to take up the legislation, members on the panel were told, according to a source, kickstarting the process in the lower chamber. Floor votes could then be held as early as Wednesday at 9 a.m., House Majority Whip Tom Emmer's (R-Minn.) office told lawmakers on Sunday night. As leaders plow full-steam ahead, some lawmakers are pumping the breaks, recommending that the party push back its timeline to continue deliberations. 'So rather than forcing it through this week, we should have the conversations we need to with the Senate, see what they do, review the bill, find where we can find savings, find where we can adjust what we're doing on tax policy and make the map actually add up,' Roy said Monday.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate's ‘big, beautiful bill' faces serious headwinds in the House
The Senate's version of the 'big, beautiful bill' is facing serious headwinds in the House with The Hill learning that at least six House Republicans are currently a 'no' on the framework, a daunting sign for GOP leadership as the Senate races towards a vote. Those six House Republicans, some of whom requested anonymity, are enough opposition to tank the package, as GOP leaders grapple with a razor-thin majority. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who was one of two GOP lawmakers to oppose the House version of the bill last month, is also likely to oppose the Senate's edition, deepening the pocket of resistance in the lower chamber. Republicans can only afford to lose three votes and still clear the legislation, assuming full attendance and united Democratic opposition. 'I support the reasonable provisions in H.R. 1 that protect Medicaid's long-term viability and ensure the program continues to serve our most vulnerable, but I will not support a final bill that eliminates vital funding streams our hospitals rely on, including provider taxes and state directed payments, or any provisions that punish expansion states,' Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) wrote in a statement on Saturday. 'President Trump was clear when he said to root out our waste, fraud, and abuse without cutting Medicaid and I wholeheartedly agree,' he continued. 'I urge my Senate colleagues to stick to the Medicaid provisions in H.R. 1 — otherwise I will vote no.' Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) told The Hill that he is also opposed to the bill because of the Medicaid provider tax provision. Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.) is currently a 'no' on the measure because of the Medicaid language, rollback of solar energy credits and public lands provisions, a source familiar with the matter told The Hill. Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), meanwhile, told The Hill that he is against the current version of the package because of the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap proposal. The legislation would increase the currently $10,000 SALT cap to $40,000 for individuals making $500,000 or less for five years, then snap back to the original number. 'While I support the President's broader agenda, how could I support the same unfair $10k SALT cap I've spent years criticizing?' LaLota said. 'A permanent $40k deduction cap with income thresholds of $225k for single filers and $450k for joint filers would earn my vote.' It is not, however, just moderates who are signaling issues with the Senate bill: Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, posted an ominous message on X that suggested he was not pleased with the package. 'I will not negotiate via X. But it's important to know that jamming us with a bill before we've had any chance to review the implications of major changes & re-writes, fluid scores, a high likelihood of violating the house framework (deficits) , & tons of swamp buy-offs is bad,' he wrote. The opposition is rising to the surface as Senate Republicans inch closer to holding an initial vote on the 'big, beautiful bill,' which would officially kick off the consideration process and eventually tee up a final vote in the House. It remains unclear, however, if Senate GOP leaders have the votes to move forward. If the motion to proceed passes by a simple majority, the chamber would hold a series of unlimited amendment votes called a vote-a-rama, which could result in changes to the measure. Senate GOP leaders are also still talking to holdouts and could make changes to the bill as written. In the meantime, House Republicans — beginning to review the revised Senate text unveiled overnight — are expressing resistance to the measure, prompting serious questions about whether top GOP lawmakers will be able to enact the legislation by their self-imposed July 4 deadline. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) convened a call with the House Republican Conference Saturday afternoon and urged lawmakers to keep their concerns with the Senate bill private, and instead speak directly with their senators and the White House, two sources told The Hill. Senate Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) told members that it is unlikely they will have to return to Washington on Monday, the sources said. Tuesday or Wednesday is more realistic, he told lawmakers. One source told The Hill that the call was brief and leadership did not take questions. The main qualm among House Republicans appears to be the Medicaid language in the bill. The Senate's legislation includes a proposal that would effectively cap provider taxes at 3.5 percent by 2031, down from the current 6 percent, but only for the states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. The decrease was initially supposed to begin in 2027, with a 0.5 percent phase down annually, but Senate Republicans overnight changed the text to delay the implementation to 2028. The upper chamber also inserted a provision to create a $25 billion rural hospital relief fund that would be distributed over five years to assuage those concerns. The changes, however, do not seem to be solving all of the GOP's problems, with House Republicans still voicing opposition to the language. Aside from Medicaid, the Senate bill's rollback of green-energy tax credits is an issue for some House Republicans. The revised legislation for the upper chamber slashes tax incentives for wind and solar energy and adds a new tax on future wind and solar projects. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) would not say how he plans to vote on the bill, but signaled that he is not happy with the Medicaid provisions and green-energy tax credit language. 'Instead of improving the Medicaid and energy portions of [the] House bill it appears the Senate went backwards,' he told The Hill. 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
Senate's ‘big, beautiful bill' faces serious headwinds in the House
The Senate's version of the 'big, beautiful bill' is facing serious headwinds in the House with at least six House Republicans telling The Hill they are currently a 'no' on the framework, a daunting sign for GOP leadership as the Senate races towards a vote. Those six House Republicans, some of whom requested anonymity, are enough opposition to tank the package, as GOP leaders grapple with a razor-thin majority. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who was one of two GOP lawmakers to oppose the House version of the bill last month, is also likely to oppose the Senate's edition, deepening the pocket of resistance in the lower chamber. Republicans can only afford to lose three votes and still clear the legislation, assuming full attendance and united Democratic opposition. 'I support the reasonable provisions in H.R. 1 that protect Medicaid's long-term viability and ensure the program continues to serve our most vulnerable, but I will not support a final bill that eliminates vital funding streams our hospitals rely on, including provider taxes and state directed payments, or any provisions that punish expansion states,' Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) wrote in a statement on Saturday. 'President Trump was clear when he said to root out our waste, fraud, and abuse without cutting Medicaid and I wholeheartedly agree,' he continued. 'I urge my Senate colleagues to stick to the Medicaid provisions in H.R. 1 — otherwise I will vote no.' Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) told The Hill that he is also opposed to the bill because of the Medicaid provider tax provision. Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.) is currently a 'no' on the measure because of the Medicaid language, rollback of solar energy credits and public lands provisions, a source familiar with the matter told The Hill. Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), meanwhile, told The Hill that he is against the current version of the package because of the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap proposal. The legislation would increase the currently $10,000 SALT cap to $40,000 for individuals making $500,000 or less for five years, then snap back to the original number. 'While I support the President's broader agenda, how could I support the same unfair $10k SALT cap I've spent years criticizing?' LaLota said. 'A permanent $40k deduction cap with income thresholds of $225k for single filers and $450k for joint filers would earn my vote.' It is not, however, just moderates who are signaling issues with the Senate bill: Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, posted an ominous message on X that suggested he was not pleased with the package. 'I will not negotiate via X. But it's important to know that jamming us with a bill before we've had any chance to review the implications of major changes & re-writes, fluid scores, a high likelihood of violating the house framework (deficits) , & tons of swamp buy-offs is bad,' he wrote. The opposition is rising to the surface as Senate Republicans inch closer to holding an initial vote on the 'big, beautiful bill,' which would officially kick off the consideration process and eventually tee up a final vote in the House. It remains unclear, however, if Senate GOP leaders have the votes to move forward. If the motion to proceed passes by a simple majority, the chamber would hold a series of unlimited amendment votes called a vote-a-rama, which could result in changes to the measure. Senate GOP leaders are also still talking to holdouts and could make changes to the bill as written. In the meantime, House Republicans — beginning to review the revised Senate text unveiled overnight — are expressing resistance to the measure, prompting serious questions about whether top GOP lawmakers will be able to enact the legislation by their self-imposed July 4 deadline. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) convened a call with the House Republican Conference Saturday afternoon and urged lawmakers to keep their concerns with the Senate bill private, and instead speak directly with their senators and the White House, two sources told The Hill. Senate Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) told members that it is unlikely they will have to return to Washington on Monday, the sources said. Tuesday or Wednesday is more realistic, he told lawmakers. One source told The Hill that the call was brief and leadership did not take questions. The main qualm among House Republicans appears to be the Medicaid language in the bill. The Senate's legislation includes a proposal that would effectively cap provider taxes at 3.5 percent by 2031, down from the current 6 percent, but only for the states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. The decrease was initially supposed to begin in 2027, with a 0.5 percent phase down annually, but Senate Republicans overnight changed the text to delay the implementation to 2028. The upper chamber also inserted a provision to create a $25 billion rural hospital relief fund that would be distributed over five years to assuage those concerns. The changes, however, do not seem to be solving all of the GOP's problems, with House Republicans still voicing opposition to the language. Aside from Medicaid, the Senate bill's rollback of green-energy tax credits is an issue for some House Republicans. The revised legislation for the upper chamber slashes tax incentives for wind and solar energy and adds a new tax on future wind and solar projects. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) would not say how he plans to vote on the bill, but signaled that he is not happy with the Medicaid provisions and green-energy tax credit language. 'Instead of improving the Medicaid and energy portions of [the] House bill it appears the Senate went backwards,' he told The Hill.
The Hill
6 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
House GOP advances bill ‘gutting' government watchdog
House Republicans advanced legislation on Thursday that seeks to cut funding for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) by roughly 50 percent for fiscal year 2026, prompting outcry from Democrats who say the move is counterproductive to GOP efforts to root out waste in government. The GOP-led House Appropriations Committee voted along party lines on Thursday to advance the legislation, with Democrats rising in sharp opposition to the plan. The annual legislative branch funding bill, one of 12 full-year appropriations bills the committee aims to greenlight before the August recess, includes funding for House of Representatives operations, the Library of Congress, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), U.S. Capitol Police, and other agencies. Compared to current levels, the bill calls for $5 billion for fiscal 2026, or a 5 percent drop from current levels, when not accounting for Senate items. The total discretionary allocation rises to $6.7 billion, however, when considering those items. 'While we had to make a number of tough choices in this bill, we believe that as the legislative branch, it is our responsibility to lead by example and make responsible funding decreases where appropriate,' Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.), head of the subcommittee that crafted the plan, said in remarks on Thursday. The largest proposed cut outlined by appropriators in the bill amounts to a nearly 49 percent decrease in funding for the GAO, allocating $415 million for the agency in the fiscal 2026 budget. Democrats have also criticized a provision in the plan that they say would block the agency from bringing civil actions against other agencies for not complying with the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. 'This is about the GAO having nearly 40 open investigations into whether the White House is illegally withholding money that we, as a committee, previously appropriate supporting the administration's actions that contravene the rule of law means the committee compromises,' Rep. Adriano Espaillat (N.Y.), top Democrat on the legislative branch appropriations subcommittee, said at the start of the markup session. 'With this, 2,200 jobs will be lost. In addition, Congress will forgo tens of billions in cost savings that result from GAO work each year,' he continued. The cuts come as GAO officials have made clear that they have a string of probes into the Trump administration's efforts to freeze federal funds. At the same time, Trump officials have raised scrutiny over the agency in recent months, with White House budget chief Russell Vought accusing the office of 'improperly calling programmatic review impoundments' in a Senate hearing earlier this week. 'We're going through a programmatic review. We will look at our options under the law with regard to that funding. Each set of funding is different, as you know, and we will be continuing to evaluate that program,' he also said before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday. Democrats have accused the Trump administration of undertaking a sweeping, illegal funding freeze, blocking hundreds of billions of dollars in federal dollars previously approved by Congress. During the committee markup on Thursday, Democrats also singled out a proposal to cut funding for the Library of Congress by 10 percent for fiscal 2026. At the same time, the plan calls for increases to the U.S. Capitol Police, the CBO, the Architect of the Capitol, with a boost for salaries and expenses for House officers and employees, committees operations, as well as an increase for the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights. With the bill's passage on Thursday, the House Appropriations Committee has passed almost half of its annual funding bills for fiscal 2026. The House also passed its first fiscal 2026 appropriations bill, which lays out the party's vision for the Department of Veterans' Affairs full-year funding, earlier this week.
