Latest news with #SenateRepublicans
Fox News
6 hours ago
- Health
- Fox News
Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' faces Republican family feud as Senate reveals its final text
Print Close By Alex Miller Published June 28, 2025 Senate Republicans unveiled their long-awaited version of President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill," but its survival is not guaranteed. Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., revealed the stitched-together text of the colossal bill late Firday night. The final product from the upper chamber is the culmination of a roughly month-long sprint to take the House GOP's version of the bill and mold and change it. The colossal package includes separate pieces and parts from 10 Senate committees. With the introduction of the bill, a simple procedural hurdle must be passed in order to begin the countdown to final passage. When that comes remains an open question. Senate Republicans left their daily lunch on Friday under the assumption that a vote could be teed up as early as noon on Saturday. HOUSE CONSERVATIVES GO TO WAR WITH SENATE OVER TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told Fox News Digital that he had "strongly encouraged" Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to put the bill on the floor for a vote Saturday afternoon. "If you're unhappy with that, you're welcome to fill out a hurt feelings report, and we will review it carefully later," Kennedy said. "But in the meantime, it's time to start voting." But Senate Republicans' desire to impose their will on the package and make changes to already divisive policy tweaks in the House GOP's offering could doom the bill and derail Thune's ambitious timeline to get it on Trump's desk by the July 4 deadline. However, Thune has remained firm that lawmakers would stay on course and deliver the bill to Trump by Independence Day. When asked if he had the vote to move the package forward, Thune said "we'll find out tomorrow." TOP TRUMP HEALTH OFFICIAL SLAMS DEMOCRATS FOR 'MISLEADING' CLAIMS ABOUT MEDICAID REFORM But it wasn't just lawmakers who nearly derailed the bill. The Senate parliamentarian, the true final arbiter of the bill, ruled that numerous GOP-authored provisions did not pass muster with Senate rules. Any item in the "big, beautiful bill" must comport with the Byrd Rule, which governs the budget reconciliation process and allows for a party in power to ram legislation through the Senate while skirting the 60-vote filibuster threshold. That sent lawmakers back to the drawing board on a slew of policy tweaks, including the Senate's changes to the Medicaid provider tax rate, cost-sharing for food benefits and others. Republican leaders, the White House and disparate factions within the Senate and House GOP have been meeting to find middle ground on other pain points, like tweaking the caps on state and local tax (SALT) deductions. While the controversial Medicaid provider tax rate change remained largely the same, a $25 billion rural hospital stabilization fund was included in the bill to help attract possible holdouts that have raised concerns that the rate change would shutter rural hospitals throughout the country. On the SALT front, there appeared to be a breakthrough on Friday. A source told Fox News that the White House and House were on board with a new plan that would keep the $40,000 cap from the House's bill and have it reduced back down to $10,000 after five years. But Senate Republicans are the ones that must accept it at this stage. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., has acted as the mediator in those negotiations, and said that he was unsure if any of his colleagues "love it." "But I think, as I've said before, I want to make sure we have enough that people can vote for than to vote against," he said. Still, a laundry list of other pocket issues and concerns over just how deep spending cuts in the bill go have conservatives and moderates in the House GOP and Senate pounding their chests and vowing to vote against the bill. Republican leaders remain adamant that they will finish the mammoth package and are gambling that some lawmakers standing against the bill will buckle under the pressure from the White House and the desire to leave Washington for a short break. Once a motion to proceed is passed, which only requires a simple majority, then begins 20 hours of debate evenly divided between both sides of the aisle. 'BABY STEPS': LEADER THUNE DETAILS HIS WORK TO CORRAL REPUBLICANS BEHIND TRUMP'S LEGISLATIVE VISION Democratic lawmakers are expected to spend the entirety of their 10 allotted hours, while Republicans will likely clock in well below their limit. From there starts the "vote-a-rama" process, when lawmakers can submit a near-endless number of amendments to the bill. Democrats will likely try to extract as much pain as possible with messaging amendments that won't actually pass but will add more and more time to the process. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Once that is complete, lawmakers will move to a final vote. If successful, the "big, beautiful bill" will again make its way back to the House, where House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., will again have to corral dissidents to support the legislation. It barely advanced last month, squeaking by on a one-vote margin. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hammered on the importance of passing Trump's bill on time. He met with Senate Republicans during their closed-door lunch and spread the message that advancing the colossal tax package would go a long way to giving businesses more certainty in the wake of the president's tariffs. "We need certainty," he said. "With so much uncertainty, and having the bill on the president's desk by July 4 will give us great tax certainty, and I believe, accelerate the economy in the third quarter of the year." Print Close URL
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'Very close to a final product': Senate GOP version of Trump's bill near finish line
With a week until a July Fourth deadline for Congress to get President Donald Trump's megabill passed, Senate Republicans are going over the final sticking points -- with the end in sight and a potential vote this weekend. On Friday afternoon, Senate Republicans met with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who called the passage of the bill the "single most important economic thing we're going to do this year." House Speaker Mike Johnson chewed over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act with Senate Republicans at the closed-door lunch on Friday, telling reporters afterward that the Senate's version of the legislation is almost done. "We had a great discussion about a lot of important issues, and I feel like we're getting very close to a final product," Johnson said as he left the meeting. MORE: Senate GOP 'frustrated' by parliamentarian's Medicaid ruling in Trump's bill -- but won't overrule her While the Senate grapples with the state and local tax provision, Johnson said he believes senators are "very, very close to closing that issue out." The Senate version of the bill is expected to hit the Senate floor on Saturday afternoon. It begins with a procedural vote on the motion to proceed to the bill, which requires a simple majority of votes to pass. Assuming the bill gets the necessary votes to proceed, there are up to 20 hours of debate, evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats. Republicans will likely yield back most of their ten hours. Democrats will likely use close to all of it. After an unlimited series of amendment votes, the Senate could vote on the final passage of the bill at some point on Sunday. Still, some roadblocks remain. The Senate parliamentarian on Thursday rejected a Medicaid provision in the bill, which is a major blow to Senate Republicans' efforts. Also, Senate Majority Leader John Thune can afford to lose only three Republican votes when the bill goes to the Senate floor, given unified Democratic opposition in the Senate. "All of it depends on…we've got a few things we're waiting on, outcomes from the parliamentarian on, but if we could get some of those questions issues landed, and my expectation is at some point tomorrow, we'll be ready to go," Thune said Friday. Johnson and Thune met with Trump Thursday night in the Oval Office about the tax and immigration bill as Congress barrels toward its self-imposed Fourth of July deadline. "We had a long discussion about … where the bill stands and its status. And they are -- we are very, very close, and Leader Thune has confidence that they could get the job done by this weekend, and we certainly are hopeful for that," Johnson said about the Thursday meeting. Earlier Friday, Johnson suggested the Fourth of July deadline could slide, saying "it's possible" that the deadline could change -- although he said he wanted to remain committed to the July Fourth goal. However, later in the day, Johnson stuck to Independence Day. "That's been our goal all along, and it hasn't changed," the speaker said, adding that "the House is ready to act as soon as the Senate does." MORE: Trump admin live updates: Trump says he's ending trade talks with Canada After fudging his long-standing, self-imposed July Fourth deadline for Congress to pass his massive immigration and tax bill, Trump later doubled down on the date in a social media post. "The House of Representatives must be ready to send it to my desk before July 4th -- We can get it done," the president wrote. Earlier, when asked about the deadline during a news conference in the White House briefing room, the president said "it's not the end all" and that "it can go longer." On Thursday, congressional leaders and the administration touted the benefits of the package during a celebration in the East Room of the White House. MORE: Trump says no vacations until Congress passes his megabill As the Senate aims to move forward this weekend with the megabill, House leaders told members in a formal notice "pending Senate action on H.R. 1, votes on the One Big Beautiful Bill are expected in the House next week" -- interrupting a planned weeklong Independence Day recess. "Further information regarding the timing of votes will be provided as soon as possible, and Members will be given a minimum of 48 hours' notice prior to any votes in the House," the notice states. Earlier this week, Trump told members of Congress that they would have to forgo vacations to get the bill to his desk. "To my friends in the Senate, lock yourself in a room if you must, don't go home, and GET THE DEAL DONE THIS WEEK," Trump posted on his social media platform. "Work with the House so they can pick it up, and pass it, IMMEDIATELY. NO ONE GOES ON VACATION UNTIL IT'S DONE."
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Faces MAGA Revolt as Big Beautiful Bill Blows Up Over Medicaid
President Donald Trump was promoting his so-called 'big, beautiful bill' on Thursday, but his signature legislation faced a major setback in Congress. Senate Republicans are still working to address major points of contention as they scramble to pass their version of the president's domestic spending agenda ahead of the Fourth of July. But Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, who determines which provisions adhere to Senate rules for passing legislation through reconciliation, nixed provisions that restrict the state provider tax used to pay for Medicaid as well as measures to limit undocumented immigrants from using public benefits. Changes to Medicaid were part of the way GOP lawmakers were attempting to offset the cost of making Trump's tax cuts permanent. 'That's a big old grenade,' said Sen. Ron Johnson after already saying he cannot accept a 'one and done' bill and blasting its impact on the deficit. The ruling sends Senate Republicans back to the drawing board on the controversial issue, which had already received pushback from Senators Josh Hawley, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski for how the original proposal would hurt rural hospitals. The roadblock has divided GOP senators. Senator Roger Marshall said on Thursday that MacDonough has been in the position too long and needs to be fired. But Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he would not overrule the Senate parliamentarian. His sentiments were echoed by other GOP senators, including Sen. Bill Cassidy, who said there needs to be a 'neutral arbiter.' Sen. Collins also said she was against it. 'What people need to remember, what comes around goes around,' Collins said. 'When it comes to the parliamentarian, she may rule the way you like one day, the way you don't the next.' The White House called the latest setback 'part of the process' and signaled it still expects the president to sign the bill next week. 'We expect that bill to be on the president's desk for signature by July 4th,' insisted Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Trump has been on the phone with senators. He spoke with Hawley on his way back from NATO, but he hasn't made a visit to the Hill to rally Senate support like he did before the passage of the House bill. Senator Kevin Cramer laughed on Thursday as he said he would recommend that the president come to meet with GOP senators. But as Senate Republicans struggle to draft a bill that complies with the rules, so they only need to reach the 50-vote threshold to pass it, more House members are threatening to sink the Senate bill if it comes back to their chamber. MAGA members of the House were infuriated by the intervention. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was the latest to blast the Senate effort after the parliamentarian scrapped the Medicaid provider tax policy. She claimed on X that their goal was 'kicking illegals off of Medicare and Medicaid' but that 'the UN-ELECTED Senate Parliamentarian used the Byrd Rule, meaning these Trump agenda priorities, that deliver our campaign promises, need to be stripped out of the One Big Beautiful Bill.' 'How is it that an unelected swamp bureaucrat, who was appointed by Harry Reid over a decade ago, gets to decide what can and cannot go in President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill?' wrote Rep. Greg Steube. Rep. Chip Roy also has warned that he believes the Senate version of the bill is heading in the wrong direction after he was a tough sell on voting for the House bill last month, which passed by one vote. The parliamentarian still has other measures in the draft legislation to rule on, so further challenges could follow. GOP senators acknowledged on Thursday that the situation was fluid. Even before the latest setback, conservative House Republicans were already threatening to vote against it if the Senate finds a way to get 50 votes and send it back. House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris posted on X that the proposed Senate version of the bill 'weakens key House priorities.' He took issue with its provisions on Medicaid, not rolling back clean energy tax credits enough, and said it greatly increased the deficit. 'If the Senate tries to jam the House with this version, I won't vote 'present.' I'll vote NO,' he wrote.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate Republicans move to slash CFPB funding by half, risking hundreds of job cuts
NEW YORK (AP) — Senate Republicans have moved to cut the funding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau by roughly half, as part of President Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill,' which is likely to lead to hundreds of job cuts at the nation's financial watchdog agency. It would be a major blow to the CFPB, which was created after the 2008 financial crisis to police potential bad actors in the financial services industry, and it would be a win for the GOP, who have largely wanted to make the CFPB go away since its creation. The CFPB is funded through the Federal Reserve, not the Congressional appropriations process. But in the latest version of the bill to come out of the Senate Banking Committee, the CFPB's funding would be cut from 12% of the Federal Reserve's profits to 6.5% of the central bank's profits. The CFPB requests its annual budget from the Fed every year, effectively as a line of credit from the central bank. It has never needed the entire 12% of the Fed's profits, but it has come close in previous years to using much of what the Fed would allocate to it. For example, last year the CFPB requested $762.9 million from the Fed, which was close to the transfer cap of $785.4 million. But cutting the transfer cap by roughly half would mean the CFPB would have to cut its budget significantly or seek to supplement its budget from Congress through the traditional appropriations process, a goal that Republicans have been seeking for years. 'The committee's language decreases the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) funding cap without affecting the statutory functions of the Bureau,' said Sen. Tim Scott, the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. Under President Biden, the bureau was a potent regulator that often gave banks and other financial services companies headaches on a regular basis. The previous director, Rohit Chopra, used the bureau to look into a broader array of financial services beyond the banks, investigating bad practices at credit card companies, payday lenders, buy now, pay later companies and other financial technology firms. The bureau has returned billions of dollars to consumers since its creation through its enforcement actions. But since President Trump came into office, the bureau has been effectively inoperable. Russell Vought, the President's budget director, is currently the acting director of the Bureau and has stopped all enforcement and supervision work, the bureau is not writing new rules or regulations and employees are being told not to communicate with banks or outside parties. Employees are logging in once or twice a day to check emails, but there is little supervisory or enforcement work happening at the bureau. Even emails to the CFPB's press office go unanswered. House Republicans held a hearing on Wednesday attacking Chopra's work, calling the former director and his appointees out-of-control bureaucrats who targeted small businesses vindictively. The CEO of a company labeled by the GOP as a small business — but was basically a chain of check cashing and payday lending shops — testified that she spent years having to go back and forth with the CFPB over its operations. The Senate Republicans' move comes after their original proposal to cut the CFPB's budget to zero was ruled in violation of Senate rules by the Senate Parliamentarian. Congressional Republicans are using a process known as 'reconciliation' to pass this bill, which only requires a 51-vote majority in the Senate to pass. This new proposal did pass Parliamentarian muster, but Senate Democrats are expected to fight to remove the provision on the floor. Donald Trump and Republicans tried to shut down the CFPB by gutting its entire operating budget to (zero),' said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee, and also the original proposer of the CFPB nearly 20 years ago. 'Now, Senate Republicans will bring to the floor a proposal that slashes the agency's available budget so they can hand out more tax breaks for billionaires and billionaire corporations.' Ken Sweet, The Associated Press
Washington Post
16 hours ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Senate Republicans move to slash CFPB funding by half, risking hundreds of job cuts
NEW YORK — Senate Republicans have moved to cut the funding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau by roughly half, as part of President Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill,' which is likely to lead to hundreds of job cuts at the nation's financial watchdog agency. It would be a major blow to the CFPB, which was created after the 2008 financial crisis to police potential bad actors in the financial services industry, and it would be a win for the GOP, who have largely wanted to make the CFPB go away since its creation.
