Latest news with #Tillis'
Newsweek
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Mitch McConnell Warns of 'Big Setback' For Republicans
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. Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky warned fellow Senators and Republicans that Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican Senator, not seeking re-election after serving out his term is a "big setback" for Washington. Newsweek reached out to Tillis' office via email Monday for comment. Why It Matters Tillis' announcement highlights ongoing ideological and leadership tensions within the Republican Party. Both Senator Tillis and Representative Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, have drawn criticism and isolation after challenging elements of President Donald Trump's policies. Their decisions to step down occur just as Republicans consolidated power in both congressional chambers after the 2024 election—a period when the party would typically anticipate increased cohesion and influence. This sequence of retirements signals heightened intra-party rifts, amplifying debates about the future direction of Republican leadership amid the party's electoral resurgence. Bacon formally announced his plan to retire on Monday, following numerous media outlets reporting his intent on Friday. What To Know Tillis announced his desire not to seek re-election in a post on X, formerly Twitter, over the weekend. "It has been a blessing to go on a journey from living in a trailer park and making minimum wage as a young man to having the honor of serving as U.S. Senator for North Carolina," Tillis said in part in his statement. "I am proud of my career in public service, including hard-fought victories like passing historic tax reform as North Carolina Speaker, and working in the Senate to help pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and confirm three conservative Supreme Court justices and counting," the North Carolina lawmaker added. Tillis later continued: "As many of my colleagues have noticed over the last year, and at times even joked about, I haven't exactly been excited about running for another term. That is true since the choice is between spending another six years navigating the political theatre and partisan gridlock in Washington or spending that time with the love of my life Susan, our two children, three beautiful grandchildren, and the rest of our extended family back home. It's not a hard choice, and I will not be seeking re-election." Tillis' announcement brought bipartisan reaction from establishment lawmakers like McConnell and Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. McConnell posted to X on Monday, saying, ".@SenThomTillis is one of the most effective and collegial members that I have ever served with in the United States Senate." "His announcement is a big setback for the Senate and the Republican Conference. I want to thank him for his service in this institution representing the people of North Carolina and our nation," McConnell said. Tillis's departure could impact committee assignments and majority margins in a closely divided Senate, while Bacon's pending retirement has Democratic strategists eyeing possible congressional gains in upcoming election cycles. Both races are expected to attract significant attention and resources as party leaders calculate risks of further moderate departures or primary challenges backed by Trump-aligned Republicans. Tillis' announcement also comes amid Senate lawmakers ramping up to vote on the reconciliation bill, dubbed the "big, beautiful bill" by Trump, which Tillis has been outspoken against regarding Medicaid. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) can be seen listening during a Senate Judiciary Hearing on June 18, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by) Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) can be seen listening during a Senate Judiciary Hearing on June 18, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by) What People Are Saying Sanders on X on Sunday: "I do not agree with N.C. Senator Thom Tillis on much. But he's right on this. Trump's Republican Party does not allow for independent thought. The Republican Party today is a cult. Either you do as Trump wants, or you're out. Pathetic." Charlie Kirk, CEO and founder of conservative Turning Point USA, on X on Sunday: "Thom Tillis routinely fought to increase American intervention abroad while rejecting border security at home. He has also been a chief obstacle to the timely confirmation of President Trump's nominees. "His retirement is a golden opportunity to make North Carolina's senators reflect the priorities of North Carolina's Republican voters." What Happens Next Senator Tillis's retirement will trigger a new Senate race in North Carolina as party leaders and prospective candidates announce intentions to run.
Fast Company
30-06-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Trump's big bill will set back U.S. debt by billions more than originally calculated
U.S. Senate Republicans pushed President Donald Trump's sweeping tax cut and spending bill forward on Sunday in a marathon weekend session even as a nonpartisan forecaster said it would add an estimated $3.3 trillion to the nation's debt over a decade. The estimate by the Congressional Budget Office of the bill's hit to the $36.2 trillion federal debt is about $800 billion more than the version passed last month in the House of Representatives. Senators are scheduled to start voting on a potentially long list of amendments to the bill beginning at 9 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT) Monday. Republicans, who have long voiced concern about growing U.S. deficits and debt, have rejected the CBO's longstanding methodology to calculate the cost of legislation. Democrats, meanwhile, hope the latest, eye-widening figure could stoke enough anxiety among fiscally-minded conservatives to get them to buck their party, which controls both chambers of Congress. 'Republicans are doing something the Senate has never, never done before, deploying fake math and accounting gimmicks to hide the true cost of the bill,' Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said as debate opened on Sunday. 'Republicans are about to pass the single most expensive bill in U.S. history, to give tax breaks to billionaires while taking away Medicaid, SNAP benefits and good paying jobs for millions of people.' The Senate only narrowly advanced the tax-cut, immigration, border and military spending bill in a procedural vote late on Saturday, voting 51-49 to open debate on the 940-page megabill. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, one of two Republicans who voted to block the bill, explained his position in a speech to the Senate, saying White House aides had failed to give Trump proper advice about the legislation's Medicaid cuts. 'What do I tell 663,00 people in two years, three years, when President Trump breaks his promise by pushing them off of Medicaid because the funding's not there anymore,' Tillis said, referring to his constituents. Trump on social media hailed Saturday's vote as a 'great victory' for his 'great, big, beautiful bill.' In a separate post on Sunday, he said: 'We will make it all up, times 10, with GROWTH, more than ever before.' In an illustration of the depths of the divide within the Republican Party over the bill, Tillis said he would not seek re-election next year, after Trump threatened to back a primary challenger in retribution for Tillis' Saturday night vote against the bill. On Sunday, Trump celebrated Tillis' announcement as 'Great News!' on Truth Social and issued a warning to fellow Republicans who have concerns over the bill. 'REMEMBER, you still have to get reelected. Don't go too crazy!' Trump wrote in a post. Tillis' North Carolina seat is one of the few Republican Senate seats seen as vulnerable in next year's midterm elections. Trump wants the bill passed before the July 4 Independence Day holiday. While that deadline is one of choice, lawmakers will face a far more serious deadline later this summer when they must raise the nation's self-imposed debt ceiling or risk a devastating default on $36.2 trillion in debt. HITS TO BENEFITS Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, said this legislation would come to haunt Republicans if it gets approved, predicting 16 million Americans would lose their health insurance. 'Many of my Republican friends know … they're walking the plank on this and we'll see if those who've expressed quiet consternation will actually have the courage of their convictions,' Warner told CBS News' 'Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.' The legislation has been the sole focus of a marathon weekend congressional session marked by political drama, division and lengthy delays as Democrats seek to slow the legislation's path to passage. Schumer called for the entire text of the bill to be read on the Senate floor, a process that began before midnight Saturday and ran well into Sunday afternoon. Following up to 20 hours of debate on the legislation, the Senate will enter an amendment session, known as a 'vote-a-rama,' before voting on passage. Lawmakers said they hoped to complete work on the bill on Monday. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, the other Republican 'no' vote, opposed the legislation because it would raise the federal borrowing limit by an additional $5 trillion. The megabill would extend the 2017 tax cuts that were Trump's main legislative achievement during his first term as president, cut other taxes and boost spending on the military and border security. Senate Republicans, who reject the CBO's estimates on the cost of the legislation, are set on using an alternative calculation method that does not factor in costs from extending the 2017 tax cuts. Outside tax experts, like Andrew Lautz from the nonpartisan think tank Bipartisan Policy Center, call it a 'magic trick.' Using this calculation method, the Senate Republicans' budget bill appears to cost substantially less and seems to save $500 billion, according to the BPC analysis. If the Senate passes the bill, it will then return to the House of Representatives for final passage before Trump can sign it into law. The House passed its version of the bill last month.
TimesLIVE
30-06-2025
- Business
- TimesLIVE
US Senate pushes ahead on Trump tax cuts as non-partisan analysis raises price tag
US Senate Republicans pushed President Donald Trump's sweeping tax cut and spending bill forward on Sunday in a marathon weekend session even as a non-partisan forecaster said it would add an estimated $3.3-trillion (R58.7-trillion) to the nation's debt over a decade. The estimate by the Congressional budget office (CBO) of the bill's hit to the $36.2-trillion (R644-trillion) federal debt is about $800bn (R14.2-trillion) more than the version passed last month in the House of Representatives. Senators are scheduled to start voting on a potentially long list of amendments to the bill beginning at 9am on Monday. Republicans, who have long voiced concern about growing US deficits and debt, have rejected the CBO's long-standing methodology to calculate the cost of legislation. Democrats the latest figure could stoke enough anxiety among fiscally-minded conservatives to get them to buck their party, which controls the two chambers of Congress. 'Republicans are doing something the Senate has never, never done before, deploying fake math and accounting gimmicks to hide the true cost of the bill,' Demo Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said when debate opened on Sunday. 'Republicans are about to pass the single most expensive bill in US history, to give tax breaks to billionaires while taking away Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme benefits and good paying jobs for millions of people.' The Senate only narrowly advanced the tax-cut, immigration, border and military spending bill in a procedural vote late on Saturday, voting 51-49 to open debate on the 940-page megabill. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, one of two Republicans who voted to block the bill, explained his position in a speech to the Senate, saying White House aides had failed to give Trump proper advice about the legislation's Medicaid cuts. 'What do I tell 663,00 people in two years, three years, when President Trump breaks his promise by pushing them off of Medicaid because the funding's no longer there,' Tillis said, referring to his constituents. Trump on social media hailed Saturday's vote as a 'great victory' for his 'great, big, beautiful bill'. In a separate post on Sunday, he said: 'We will make it all up, times 10, with growth, more than ever before.' In an illustration of the depths of the divide within the Republican Party over the bill, Tillis said he would not seek re-election next year after Trump threatened to back a primary challenger in retribution for Tillis' Saturday night vote against the bill. On Sunday, Trump celebrated Tillis' announcement as 'great news' on Truth Social and issued a warning to fellow Republicans who have concerns over the bill. 'Remember, you have to get re-elected. Don't go too crazy,' Trump wrote in a post. Tillis' North Carolina seat is one of the few Republican Senate seats seen as vulnerable in next year's midterm elections. Trump wants the bill passed before the July 4 Independence Day holiday. While that deadline is one of choice, lawmakers will face a far more serious deadline later this year when they must raise the nation's self-imposed debt ceiling or risk a devastating default on $36.2-trillion (R644-trillion) in debt. Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, said the legislation would come to haunt Republicans if it is approved, predicting 16-million Americans would lose their health insurance. 'Many of my Republican friends know they're walking the plank on this and we'll see if those who've expressed quiet consternation will have the courage of their convictions,' Warner told CBS News' Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan. The legislation has been the sole focus of a marathon weekend congressional session marked by political drama, division and lengthy delays as Democrats seek to slow the legislation's path to passage. Schumer called for the entire text of the bill to be read on the Senate floor, a process that began before midnight on Saturday and ran well into Sunday afternoon. Following up on 20-hours of debate on the legislation, the Senate will enter an amendment session, known as a 'vote-a-rama', before voting on passage. Lawmakers said they hoped to complete work on the bill on Monday. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, the other Republican 'no' vote, opposed the legislation because it would raise the federal borrowing limit by an additional $5-trillion (R89-trillion). The megabill would extend the 2017 tax cuts that were Trump's main legislative achievement during his first term as president, cut other taxes and boost spending on the military and border security. Senate Republicans, who reject the CBO's estimates on the cost of the legislation, are set on using an alternative calculation method that does not factor in costs from extending the 2017 tax cuts. Outside tax experts, including Andrew Lautz from the non-partisan think-tank Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC(, call it a 'magic trick'. Using the calculation method, the Senate Republicans' budget bill appears to cost substantially less and seems to save $500bn (R8.9-trillion) according to the BPC analysis. If the Senate passes the bill, it will then return to the House of Representatives for final passage before Trump can sign it into law. The House passed its version of the bill last month.
Business Recorder
30-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
US Senate pushes ahead on Trump tax cuts
WASHINGTON: The US Senate version of President Donald Trump's sweeping tax-cut and spending bill will add $3.3 trillion to the nation's debt, about $800 billion more than the version passed last month by the House of Representatives, a nonpartisan forecaster said on Sunday. The Congressional Budget Office issued its estimate of the bill's hit to the $36.2 trillion federal debt as Senate Republicans sought to push the bill forward in a marathon weekend session. Republicans, who have long voiced concern about growing US deficits and debt, have rejected the CBO's longstanding methodology to calculate the cost of legislation. But Democrats hope the latest, eye-widening figure could stoke enough anxiety among fiscally-minded conservatives to get them to buck their party, which controls both chambers of Congress. The Senate only narrowly advanced the tax-cut, immigration, border and military spending bill in a procedural vote late on Saturday, voting 51-49 to open debate on the 940-page megabill. Trump on social media hailed Saturday's vote as a 'great victory' for his 'great, big, beautiful bill.' In an illustration of the depths of the divide within the Republican Party over the bill, Senator Thom Tillis said he would not seek re-election next year, after Trump threatened to back a primary challenger in retribution for Tillis' Saturday night vote against the bill. Tillis' North Carolina seat is one of the few Republican Senate seats seen as vulnerable in next year's midterm elections. He was one of just two Republicans to vote no on Saturday. Trump wants the bill passed before the July 4 Independence Day holiday. While that deadline is one of choice, lawmakers will face a far more serious deadline later this summer when they must raise the nation's self-imposed debt ceiling or risk a devastating default on $36.2 trillion in debt. 'We are going to make sure hardworking people can keep more of their money,' Senator Katie Britt, an Alabama Republican, told CNN's State of the Union on Sunday. HITS TO BENEFITS Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, said this legislation would come to haunt Republicans if it gets approved, predicting 16 million Americans would lose their health insurance. 'Many of my Republican friends know ... they're walking the plank on this and we'll see if those who've expressed quiet consternation will actually have the courage of their convictions,' Warner told CBS News' 'Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.' The legislation has been the sole focus of a marathon weekend congressional session marked by political drama, division and lengthy delays as Democrats seek to slow the legislation's path to passage. Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer called for the entire text of the bill to be read on the Senate floor, a process that began before midnight Saturday and ran well into Sunday afternoon. Following that lawmakers will begin up to 20 hours of debate on the legislation. That will be followed by an amendment session, known as a 'vote-a-rama,' before the Senate votes on passage. Lawmakers said they hoped to complete work on the bill on Monday.
Time of India
30-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
US debates Trump's tax cut bill that could add $3.3 trillion to the nation's debt
Senate Republicans pushed forward President Donald Trump's sweeping tax cut and spending bill on Sunday in a marathon weekend session even as a nonpartisan forecaster said it would add an estimated $3.3 trillion to the nation's debt over a decade. The estimate by the Congressional Budget Office of the bill's hit to the $36.2 trillion federal debt is about $800 billion more than the version passed last month in the House of Representatives. Republicans, who have long voiced concern about growing U.S. deficits and debt, have rejected the CBO's longstanding methodology to calculate the cost of legislation. Democrats, meanwhile, hope the latest, eye-widening figure could stoke enough anxiety among fiscally-minded conservatives to get them to buck their party, which controls both chambers of Congress. "Republicans are doing something the Senate has never, never done before, deploying fake math and accounting gimmicks to hide the true cost of the bill," Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said as debate opened on Sunday. "Republicans are about to pass the single most expensive bill in U.S. history, to give tax breaks to billionaires while taking away Medicaid, SNAP benefits and good paying jobs for millions of people." Live Events The Senate only narrowly advanced the tax-cut, immigration, border and military spending bill in a procedural vote late on Saturday, voting 51-49 to open debate on the 940-page megabill. Trump on social media hailed Saturday's vote as a "great victory" for his "great, big, beautiful bill." In a separate post on Sunday, he said: "We will make it all up, times 10, with GROWTH, more than ever before." In an illustration of the depths of the divide within the Republican Party over the bill, Senator Thom Tillis said he would not seek re-election next year, after Trump threatened to back a primary challenger in retribution for Tillis' Saturday night vote against the bill. On Sunday, Trump celebrated Tillis' announcement as "Great News!" on Truth Social and issued a warning to fellow Republicans who have concerns over the bill. "REMEMBER, you still have to get reelected. Don't go too crazy!" Trump wrote in a post. Tillis' North Carolina seat is one of the few Republican Senate seats seen as vulnerable in next year's midterm elections. He was one of just two Republicans to vote no on Saturday. Trump wants the bill passed before the July 4 Independence Day holiday. While that deadline is one of choice, lawmakers will face a far more serious deadline later this summer when they must raise the nation's self-imposed debt ceiling or risk a devastating default on $36.2 trillion in debt. "We are going to make sure hardworking people can keep more of their money," Senator Katie Britt, an Alabama Republican, told CNN's State of the Union on Sunday. Hits to benefits Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, said this legislation would come to haunt Republicans if it gets approved, predicting 16 million Americans would lose their health insurance. "Many of my Republican friends know ... they're walking the plank on this and we'll see if those who've expressed quiet consternation will actually have the courage of their convictions," Warner told CBS News' "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan." The legislation has been the sole focus of a marathon weekend congressional session marked by political drama, division and lengthy delays as Democrats seek to slow the legislation's path to passage. Schumer called for the entire text of the bill to be read on the Senate floor, a process that began before midnight Saturday and ran well into Sunday afternoon. Following up to 20 hours of debate on the legislation, the Senate will enter an amendment session, known as a "vote-a-rama," before voting on passage. Lawmakers said they hoped to complete work on the bill on Monday. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, the other Republican "no" vote, opposed the legislation because it would raise the federal borrowing limit by an additional $5 trillion. The megabill would extend the 2017 tax cuts that were Trump's main legislative achievement during his first term as president, cut other taxes and boost spending on the military and border security. Representative Michael McCaul, however, warned that fellow Republicans who do not back Trump on the bill could face payback from voters. "They know that their jobs are at risk. Not just from the president, but from the voting -- the American people. Our base back home will not reelect us to office if we vote no on this," McCaul also told CBS News. Senate Republicans, who reject the CBO's estimates on the cost of the legislation, are set on using an alternative calculation method that does not factor in costs from extending the 2017 tax cuts. Outside tax experts, like Andrew Lautz from the nonpartisan think tank Bipartisan Policy Center, call it a "magic trick." Using this calculation method, the Senate Republicans' budget bill appears to cost substantially less and seems to save $500 billion, according to the BPC analysis. If the Senate passes the bill, it will then return to the House of Representatives for final passage before Trump can sign it into law. The House passed its version of the bill last month.
