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CNN
12 hours ago
- Business
- CNN
Senate barrels toward weekend vote on Trump agenda as GOP support still in limbo
President Donald Trump's push to pass his massive agenda in the Senate is hanging by thread as GOP leaders barrel toward a critical vote this weekend that, as of Friday night, is still short of the support to pass. Just hours after Senate Majority Leader John Thune informed senators they would take a critical first vote on Saturday, a key GOP centrist senator warned he would vote against proceeding to the package unless there are major changes – and several other holdouts are uncertain on how they'll land. That warning shot came from Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who is up for reelection next November and has been one of the most vocal critics of the Medicaid cuts used to help pay for Trump's tax cuts and spending cuts package. Speaking to reporters Friday, Tillis again raised concerns over the bill's 'fundamentals' and cuts to Medicaid and suggested his vote wouldn't change unless the measure 'transforms radically overnight.' Losing Tillis on Saturday's expected procedural vote – which will be closely watched by Trump – would be a major blow to Senate GOP leaders, who can only afford to lose three Republican votes to advance the bill. Thune and GOP leaders have spent months building to this moment, racing to draft the bill as quickly as possible in an effort to ensure Trump's agenda is on his desk by the Fourth of July. If the bill fails its first procedural vote on Saturday, GOP leaders will have to retool the package, amounting to a huge setback for Trump. And it's not just about that Independence Day timeline: GOP leaders fear that any delay in passing Trump's agenda would embolden the party's critics to seek more changes – which could lead their fragile coalition to fall apart. Already, outspoken fiscal hawk Sen. Rand Paul is planning to vote against it over the plan's inclusion of a $5 trillion debt-limit increase. And Tillis is not the only Republican threatening to oppose the bill over the proposed cuts to Medicaid. Sens. Josh Hawley, Lisa Murkowski, Jerry Moran and Susan Collins have all made similar remarks as they've worked with leadership to trim those provisions. But simply restoring that Medicaid funding may not be enough to win Thune those votes on the floor – it could also cost him votes among Senate GOP hardliners. Sen. Ron Johnson has railed on how the bill is projected to balloon the budget deficit, and another fiscal hawk, Sen. Mike Lee, has suggested he and Johnson along with Sen. Rick Scott could vote as a bloc on Saturday. None have yet to say how they'll vote on the key initial procedural vote Saturday. If all goes to plan, Senate leaders will land the 51 GOP votes to formally begin debating Trump's agenda and then tee up one of the chamber's storied traditions: a series of round-the-clock amendment votes known as vote-a-rama. Democrats will use this overnight session to push on any number of GOP weak points on the bill, particularly Medicaid and other safety net programs. The Senate could then vote on final passage sometime in the middle of the night Saturday or Sunday morning. And if successful, the House would return mid-week to take up the bill with the hope of Trump signing it at the White House on July 4. One of the biggest hurdles for Republicans is the race to rewrite text in compliance with the Senate's complex budget rules, which are governed by the nonpartisan parliamentarian. In recent days, the parliamentarian has ruled against key GOP provisions – from the so-called provider tax, which helps states fund their Medicaid programs to some provisions of a government spectrum auction. That forces the Senate GOP to dial back those provisions, or else Trump's bill would be subject to a Democratic filibuster. Several Republicans said Friday night they need to see the final bill text – which has not been released – before judging whether they would open debate on the sweeping measure. 'I don't have the bill, how can I vote on something I don't know' what's in it, Johnson said. Hawley, who has been deeply concerned about Medicaid cuts, also said the vote hinges on what's in the bill: 'Got to see the text.' Senate GOP leaders hope to release a mostly final version of the bill Friday night or Saturday morning, but the full version may not be ready before the anticipated Saturday vote to open debate, since the Senate Finance Committee is still furiously working to make sure its language complies with the budget rules. The Finance provisions are key because of both tax and health provisions – specifically, Medicaid. 'I still don't have final language from Finance yet, which obviously is of tremendous concern to me given the Medicaid provisions,' Collins said. Multiple GOP senators dismissed concerns about speeding ahead with the vote without final text in hand. 'We discussed this thing ad nauseam,' Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno said, estimating that Republicans have met on this bill for 'thousands' of hours so far this year. 'The final tax is not out. But we know where we are going.' Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri added: 'When you have legislation like this, you're going to have things you need to work through until the very end.' This story has been updated with additional details.
Fox News
16 hours ago
- Business
- Fox News
JD Vance poised to clinch victory for Trump's landmark bill as GOP finalizes strategy
Vice President JD Vance could deliver the tie-breaking vote in the U.S. Senate for President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful, bill" should it fail to receive enough support from Republican lawmakers. Republicans are scrambling to reform and pass the measure ahead of Trump's July 4 deadline after Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough's determination Thursday that several Medicaid reforms in the sweeping tax and domestic policy package did not follow Senate rules and must be removed. As president of the Senate, the vice president casts a tie-breaking vote when a measure fails to receive majority support. There are 53 Republicans in the Senate, meaning three Republican senators could opt out of voting for the bill, and it could still pass with Vance's support. Vance has previously cast tie-breaking votes in the Senate, including in January to confirm Trump's pick for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, and on a measure in April to curb Trump's ability to impose global tariffs. Vance's office declined to provide comment to Fox News Digital. Republican lawmakers who've historically voiced concerns about certain Medicaid provisions included in the "big, beautiful, bill" include senators Susan Collins of Maine, Josh Hawley of Missouri and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. These lawmakers have cautioned that the reforms would prove detrimental to rural hospitals in their states. Spokespeople for Collins, Hawley and Murkowski did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. The domestic policy package also included provisions to beef up border security and would also make permanent the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act from Trump's first term. The White House's Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought told lawmakers earlier this month failure to pass the measure would result in a 60% tax hike for Americans and would trigger a recession. As a result, Matt Wolking, who previously served as the deputy communications director for Trump's 2020 campaign, said Senate Republicans will ultimately band together to approve the legislation to prevent the tax cuts from expiring. "Senate Republicans don't want to be responsible for the massive tax increase on the middle class that will occur if they fail to extend President Trump's tax cuts. So, ultimately, they will get this done," Wolking, currently with GOP consulting firm Axiom Strategies, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "President Trump has a big asset in these negotiations with JD Vance, and whether he is needed to break a tie or not, the administration will have another major win under its belt heading into the midterm elections where the strength of the economy will be a big factor," Wolking said. Earlier this month, Vance met with Republican senators to discuss the measure during a closed-door lunch and said afterward he was hopeful about the odds of passing the legislation on time. "I mean, look, I can't make any promises. … I can't predict the future, but I do think that we're in a good place to get this done by the July 4 recess," Vance told reporters June 17. Vance also told reporters that despite concerns from lawmakers, including Collins, regarding certain Medicaid provisions included in the measure, he would work to address any issues raised. Still, he said there was broad agreement within the party on reforming Medicaid to block access for illegal immigrants. "They're all very confident we're eventually going to get there," Vance said. The House narrowly passed its version of the measure in May by a 215-214 margin, with two Republicans voting against the legislation. Trump urged lawmakers to get the legislation to the finish line Thursday, labeling the measure the "single-most important piece of border legislation ever to cross the floor of Congress." "This is the ultimate codification of our agenda to — very simply, a phrase that's been used pretty well by me over the past 10 years, but maybe even before that — make America great again," Trump said at a "One, Big, Beautiful Event" at the White House Thursday.
CNN
16 hours ago
- Business
- CNN
Senate barrels toward weekend vote on Trump agenda as GOP support still in limbo
Senate Republicans are barreling toward a critical vote on President Donald Trump's agenda on Saturday, with GOP leaders pressuring their members to support a bill that has yet to be fully drafted. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and his leadership team informed their members at a private meeting Friday that they aimed to hold their first vote to advance the bill Saturday at noon, according to multiple GOP senators. 'We got a few things we're waiting on, outcomes from the parliamentarian … but if we could get some of those questions, issues landed then my expectation is at some point tomorrow we'll be ready to go,' Thune said. But it is not yet clear if enough Senate Republicans will support the plan to pass it. 'We will find out tomorrow,' Thune said. Thune and his team are still working to resolve some of the thorniest issues, including how to win over centrists who are concerned about cuts to Medicaid or other safety net programs while appeasing fiscal hawks who have demanded their party go even further with those cuts. Thune himself acknowledged that holding a vote midday Saturday was 'aspirational' and added: 'We'll see.' The South Dakota Republican outlined the tentative plan during a Friday meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson and the treasury secretary, part of a full-court press by GOP leaders and Trump's team to line up the GOP behind the bill. GOP leaders know that a lot needs to fall in place for that Saturday vote: Their party is still rewriting key parts of the bill to comply with the chamber's special budget rules and has yet to release final text. If all goes to plan, though, the Senate would vote on final passage sometime in the middle of the night Saturday or Sunday morning. And if successful, the House would return mid-week to take up the bill with the hope of Trump signing it at the White House on July 4. At least one GOP senator is still publicly chafing at that plan: Kentucky's Rand Paul, who was sharply critical of the new spending in the bill as he emerged from the GOP meeting. 'The car is still speeding off the cliff,' Paul said, saying it would do nothing to rein in deficits. Senior Republicans have been anticipating that on the vote they may lose Paul, who strongly opposed parts of the bill, including raising the nation's debt limit. But if that happens, Thune can only lose two more GOP votes and still pass the bill. One other key vote, centrist Alaska GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski, told reporters Friday she's still waiting to see details of GOP's plans on nutritional assistance programs, known as SNAP. She would not say if she is leaning for or against the bill. One of the biggest hurdles for Republicans is the race to rewrite text in compliance with the Senate's complex budget rules, which are governed by the nonpartisan parliamentarian. In recent days, the parliamentarian has ruled against key GOP provisions — from the so-called provider tax, which helps states fund their Medicaid programs to some provisions of a government spectrum auction. That forces the Senate GOP to dial back those provisions, or else Trump's bill would be subject to a Democratic filibuster. Senate GOP leaders are aiming to release a mostly final version of the bill Friday night, but the full version may not be ready before the Saturday vote, since the Senate Finance Committee is still furiously working to make sure its language complies with the budget rules. 'The vast majorities of issues have been resolved and some of this will be done in parallel working here for the sake of time. But I think we're going to get there,' Sen. Steve Daines of Montana said, adding that the Senate has gotten through '90 to 95%' of the parliamentarian's process, also known as a 'Byrd bath,' named for the late Sen. Robert Byrd, a Senate rules enthusiast. Multiple GOP senators dismissed concerns about speeding ahead with the vote without final text in hand. 'We discussed this thing ad nauseam,' Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno said, estimating that Republicans have met on this bill for 'thousands' of hours so far this year. 'The final tax is not out. But we know where we are going.' Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri added: 'When you have legislation like this, you're going to have things you need to work through until the very end.'
Yahoo
16 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."
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Some Medicaid Cuts In Trump's Policy Bill Blocked By Senate Parliamentarian
Senate Republicans can't fast track some of the Medicaid cuts included in the House version of President Donald Trump's signature policy bill, the Senate parliamentarian ruled Thursday, complicating the GOP's goal of passing the major legislative package by its July 4 deadline. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) speaks to reporters at the Capitol as lawmakers work on the ... More One Big Beautiful Bill Act on June 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by) Getty Images This is a developing story and it will be updated.
