Latest news with #VictoriaSpartz
Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Report: The conservatives expected to cave on Trump's megabill
By As Congress barrels towards the self-imposed July 4th deadline to pass President Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' some Republicans are vowing a vote against it, potentially tanking the seismic signature legislation of the White House. Insiders on Capitol Hill think they're bluffing - and see most climbing aboard at the last possible moment. 'Most of these guys will eventually cave,' one House GOP aide told the Daily Mail. 'It's not about principles anymore, it's just thirsty members knowing how to get as much attention as possible.' A handful of Republicans in Congress have taken some issue with the current format of Trump's marquee policy agenda, called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB). Their bicameral concerns vary from the overregulation of AI , Medicaid cuts, rural hospital funding and deficit reduction. Republican Representatives Chip Roy, Andy Harris, Victoria Spartz and more were named by Capitol Hill sources as those most likely to flip and back the bill despite their noisy opposition. Harris and Roy, for example, threatened to hold up the OBBB in the House before ultimately voting for it in late May. This week, the Trump administration has ramped up the pressure, deploying a slew of social media posts by the president on top of visits from Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Capitol Hill. Once the Senate figures out its version and Trump decides to personally apply more pressure, Capitol Hill aides believe the hardheaded opposition will eventually melt away like a popsicle on a summer city sidewalk. 'The biggest bluffers are the Medicaid moderates,' a senior House GOP aide told the Daily Mail, adding that Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska is one of the Republicans most upset by Medicaid reforms. A former Senate GOP aide shared that most lawmakers will choose to avoid the president's wrath when the rubber meets the road. 'Of course most of the holdouts will eventually back President Trump and vote for the bill,' the former aide told the Daily Mail. 'Even though their constituents probably agree with a lot of their objections —they will rightly calculate that the political risk of drawing President Trump's ire or failing to stop huge tax hikes would far outweigh the reward of a protest vote.' The former staffer added: 'President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill will pass, warts and all.' The House passed its version of the OBBB in late May by just a single vote. Multiple Republicans defected at the time and voted against the over 1,000-page bill because it was not conservative enough. According to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the House-passed OBBB framework carries an eye-watering price tag of $2.4 - $2.77 trillion. Though that price is likely to change once the Senate finishes its version of the bill. Reps. Thomas Massie and Warren Davidson were the lone GOPers to vote 'no' on the bill over concerns on how the package will impact the deficit. The bill is now with the Senate, and the tweaks made by GOP lawmakers in the upper chamber have made some House members fume. In addition, the Senate Parliamentarian struck down key Republican provisions in the reconciliation bill, declaring they cannot remain in the bill due to Senate rules. One of those provisions slashed is meant to prevent illegal immigrants from collecting Medicaid - a move that has enraged many House lawmakers, and even prompted many to call for the parliamentarian's removal from her post. There are multiple internal GOP factions currently vying for different additions and cuts to the mega-bill. Many Republican moderates have expressed distaste with deep Medicaid cuts, members of the House Freedom Caucus - a conservative cohort of the lower chamber - are upset with the spending levels and lawmakers in blue states are most concerned with state and local tax (SALT) reforms. 'You have so many [Republicans] trying to inject themselves into the Senate's process by drawing red lines it's laughable,' the senior House GOP aide shared. 'It's true the Senate has had significant setbacks with the parliamentarian, but these House guys' posturing is setting themselves up for a rude awakening.' In the House, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is upset with an AI provision that would hamper states' ability to regulate the nascent tech. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris and Reps. Chip Roy and Ralph Norman, meanwhile, have decried the price tag of the overall bill. 'Chip Roy will for sure,' buckle and vote for the bill under pressure, the GOP House aide shared, adding that Harris would also fold. 'We didn't realize demanding fiscal responsibility, opposing trillion-dollar deficit hikes, and fighting swamp subsidies counted as 'bluffing,"' a source familiar with the HFC chairman responded. New York Republican Nick Lalota has said he's a 'no for now' until SALT reforms are made. Other 'bluffers' who will eventually back the OBBB despite previously voicing doubts include Rep. Victoria Spartz, Tim Burchett, Eric Burlison and Josh Breechen. 'The Senate version, as it stands currently, cuts out many of the key provisions from the House bill that the President wanted,' a spokesperson for Burchett told the Daily Mail. 'The Congressman always votes his conscience, and will continue to do so when it is time to vote on the OBBB.' Still, most House Republicans say they are flexible and are waiting to see the final text passed by the Senate. A crop of upper chamber Republicans are also making a fuss. GOP Sens. Josh Hawley, Thom Tillis, Lisa Murkoswki, Susan Collins and Jerry Moran have all expressed concern over a provider tax provision that could cut funding to rural hospitals. A Senate GOP aide told the Daily Mail Tillis, who faces re-election in 2026, will fold '100 percent.' 'He has to vote for it or else Trump will support a primary challenger,' they added, noting a longstanding feud between Trump and the North Carolina senator. As the Senate continues to finalize its version of the bill, time is running out. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said this week he hopes to have the chamber vote on the OBBB on Saturday, however, it's unclear whether the text of the measure will be ready. Should the Senate pass the bill by then, the House would have to sprint to align itself with all of the changes before July 4th on next Friday.
Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The big beautiful BLUFFERS: Here are the conservatives expected to cave on BBB once Trump cranks up the pressure
As Congress barrels towards the self-imposed July 4th deadline to pass President Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' some Republicans are vowing a vote against it, potentially tanking the seismic signature legislation of the White House. Insiders on Capitol Hill think they're bluffing - and see most climbing aboard at the last possible moment. 'Most of these guys will eventually cave,' one House GOP aide told the Daily Mail. 'It's not about principles anymore, it's just thirsty members knowing how to get as much attention as possible.' A handful of Republicans in Congress have taken some issue with the current format of Trump's marquee policy agenda, called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB). Their bicameral concerns vary from the overregulation of AI, Medicaid cuts, rural hospital funding and deficit reduction. Republican Representatives Chip Roy, Andy Harris, Victoria Spartz and more were named by Capitol Hill sources as those most likely to flip and back the bill despite their noisy opposition. Harris and Roy, for example, threatened to hold up the OBBB in the House before ultimately voting for it in late May. This week, the Trump administration has ramped up the pressure, deploying a slew of social media posts by the president on top of visits from Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Capitol Hill. Once the Senate figures out its version and Trump decides to personally apply more pressure, Capitol Hill aides believe the hardheaded opposition will eventually melt away like a popsicle on a summer city sidewalk. 'The biggest bluffers are the Medicaid moderates,' a senior House GOP aide told the Daily Mail, adding that Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska is one of the Republicans most upset by Medicaid reforms. A former Senate GOP aide shared that most lawmakers will choose to avoid the president's wrath when the rubber meets the road. 'Of course most of the holdouts will eventually back President Trump and vote for the bill,' the former aide told the Daily Mail. 'Even though their constituents probably agree with a lot of their objections —they will rightly calculate that the political risk of drawing President Trump's ire or failing to stop huge tax hikes would far outweigh the reward of a protest vote.' The former staffer added: 'President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill will pass, warts and all.' The House passed its version of the OBBB in late May by just a single vote. Multiple Republicans defected at the time and voted against the over 1,000-page bill because it was not conservative enough. According to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the House-passed OBBB framework carries an eye-watering price tag of $2.4 - $2.77 trillion. Though that price is likely to change once the Senate finishes its version of the bill. Reps. Thomas Massie and Warren Davidson were the lone GOPers to vote 'no' on the bill over concerns on how the package will impact the deficit. The bill is now with the Senate, and the tweaks made by GOP lawmakers in the upper chamber have made some House members fume. In addition, the Senate Parliamentarian struck down key Republican provisions in the reconciliation bill, declaring they cannot remain in the bill due to Senate rules. One of those provisions slashed is meant to prevent illegal immigrants from collecting Medicaid - a move that has enraged many House lawmakers, and even prompted many to call for the parliamentarian's removal from her post. There are multiple internal GOP factions currently vying for different additions and cuts to the mega-bill. Many Republican moderates have expressed distaste with deep Medicaid cuts, members of the House Freedom Caucus - a conservative cohort of the lower chamber - are upset with the spending levels and lawmakers in blue states are most concerned with state and local tax (SALT) reforms. 'You have so many [Republicans] trying to inject themselves into the Senate's process by drawing red lines it's laughable,' the senior House GOP aide shared. 'It's true the Senate has had significant setbacks with the parliamentarian, but these House guys' posturing is setting themselves up for a rude awakening.' In the House, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is upset with an AI provision that would hamper states' ability to regulate the nascent tech. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris and Reps. Chip Roy and Ralph Norman, meanwhile, have decried the price tag of the overall bill. 'Chip Roy will for sure,' buckle and vote for the bill under pressure, the GOP House aide shared, adding that Harris would also fold. 'We didn't realize demanding fiscal responsibility, opposing trillion-dollar deficit hikes, and fighting swamp subsidies counted as 'bluffing,"' a source familiar with the HFC chairman responded. New York Republican Nick Lalota has said he's a 'no for now' until SALT reforms are made. Other 'bluffers' who will eventually back the OBBB despite previously voicing doubts include Rep. Victoria Spartz, Tim Burchett, Eric Burlison and Josh Breechen. 'The Senate version, as it stands currently, cuts out many of the key provisions from the House bill that the President wanted,' a spokesperson for Burchett told the Daily Mail. 'The Congressman always votes his conscience, and will continue to do so when it is time to vote on the OBBB.' Still, most House Republicans say they are flexible and are waiting to see the final text passed by the Senate. A crop of upper chamber Republicans are also making a fuss. GOP Sens. Josh Hawley, Thom Tillis, Lisa Murkoswki, Susan Collins and Jerry Moran have all expressed concern over a provider tax provision that could cut funding to rural hospitals. A Senate GOP aide told the Daily Mail Tillis, who faces re-election in 2026, will fold '100 percent.' 'He has to vote for it or else Trump will support a primary challenger,' they added, noting a longstanding feud between Trump and the North Carolina senator. As the Senate continues to finalize its version of the bill, time is running out. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said this week he hopes to have the chamber vote on the OBBB on Saturday, however, it's unclear whether the text of the measure will be ready. Should the Senate pass the bill by then, the House would have to sprint to align itself with all of the changes before July 4th on next Friday. The president plans on hosting a ceremony at the White House on Independence Day to sign the landmark legislation, though if the Senate delays its vote - and therefore the vote in the House - Trump may not get his desired celebration. 'It's important. It's not the end all. We can go longer,' Trump said of the July 4th deadline for the OBBB on Friday. 'But, we'd like to get it done by that time if possible.'
Forbes
20 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Victoria Spartz Blasts Senate Parliamentarian For Blocking Medicaid Cuts In Big Beautiful Bill
Congresswoman Victoria Spartz (R-IN) joined "Forbes Newsroom" to discuss the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, as well as the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Watch the full interview above.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As American as Due Process
The U.S. is a nation of symbols: the bald eagle, the Statue of Liberty, baseball, apple pie. One symbol, however, has taken a beating lately, though it represents the core of the American project. Lady Justice predates the founding, but her likeness—blindfolded, holding scales and a sword—stands for the principles that the Founders insisted should rule the American legal system. While her spirit pervades the Constitution, it is most prominently featured in the Fifth Amendment's promise of due process: the principle that those accused of wrongdoing have the right to challenge the evidence against them before the government takes away their liberty. But not everyone who swore to uphold the Constitution is keeping that promise. "If you violated the law, you are not entitled to due process," Rep. Victoria Spartz (R–Ind.) said in a March town hall. In April, Sen. Mike Lee (R–Utah) posted an image on X that encouraged travel to Canada. "We won't throw you into an El Salvadorian [sic] gulag without due process!" the image read. "[The U.S.] absolutely will," Lee responded. Tom Homan, Trump's border czar, was asked on ABC if people sent to El Salvador had any due process. "Where was Laken Riley's due process?" he replied, referring to the Georgia nursing student who was murdered by Jose Ibarra, an immigrant who was in the country illegally and was convicted and sentenced to life without parole for the murder. Homan's non sequitur sums up the current debate, sparked by the Trump administration sending hundreds of Venezuelans it alleges to be gang members, without due process, to the Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT), a massive prison in El Salvador. That nation's president, Nayib Bukele, declared a state of emergency over three years ago and suspended basic civil liberties, such as the right to a fair trial. Questions about whether the administration is indeed expelling only dangerous gang members arose after CECOT received the men, the vast majority of whom have no criminal record. That includes, among others, Andry José Hernández Romero, a Venezuelan makeup artist who appears to have been flagged because he has two crown tattoos, and Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, whom the Trump administration illegally sent to CECOT due to what it says was an "administrative error." To argue that Riley's murder, tragic though it was, justifies skirting due process fundamentally misunderstands the purpose of the doctrine. It is not to excuse criminal behavior, but to ensure that accusations—especially when they carry life-altering consequences—are publicly tested by evidence and judged fairly. Homan's logic would see due process abolished. It need not apply, he says, in the face of serious allegations or unsympathetic individuals, which is contrary to why the Founders demanded its inclusion in the Constitution. They knew the power of the state was dangerous. The government doesn't always get it right. "Because we said so" isn't sufficient reason to abrogate anyone's liberty. That the prisoners sent to CECOT were not citizens is irrelevant. The Supreme Court has repeatedly confirmed that even those suspected of being in the U.S. unlawfully are entitled to due process of law. And the people in question were not merely deported—they were sent without charge or conviction to a notorious megaprison, where Kristi Noem, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, has said she hopes the men are kept for life. Is it possible that Hernández Romero, Abrego Garcia, and others are members of a gang? It is. It is also possible they are not. Consider that one man Noem attempted to deport narrowly made it to a hearing before she could do so because the plane malfunctioned—and the government was not able to produce any evidence that he was a member of the Tren de Aragua gang, according to his attorney. Justice should not be reduced to vengeance, and constitutional rights should not be treated as privileges, revocable at a politician's whim. A country that claims to value liberty cannot shed the process meant to protect it. If due process is no longer sacred, neither is justice; and if some of us do not have due process, then none of us do. Trump has defined himself as someone who fights for American values: "Make America Great Again." You cannot do that by discarding one of the core values that made the U.S. exceptional. The post As American as Due Process appeared first on
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How Indiana's representatives - including Victoria Spartz - voted for Trump's tax bill
Hoosiers in the U.S. House of Representatives voted along party lines for President Donald Trump's policy bill that narrowly passed the chamber early on May 22. Indiana's seven Republicans, including U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz, voted in favor of the bill while the state's two Democrats voted against it. The bill now heads to the U.S. Senate. The proposal, which Trump and Republicans have referred to as the "big, beautiful bill," includes Trump campaign promises such as eliminating taxes on tips and overtime for workers, but it also includes major changes to border security, taxes and what Americans have access to Medicaid and food stamps. Indiana Republicans praised the bill for delivering on promises Trump and Republicans made during the 2024 election cycle. U.S. Rep. André Carson, a Democrat representing the majority of Indianapolis, slammed the bill for cuts to Medicaid and food assistance that he said could hurt Hoosiers. What's in Trump's big tax bill?: Here's what you need to know. In a post on X following the vote, Spartz, Indiana's frequent wildcard Republican, said she voted for the bill, but that the legislation "still needs some work." In April, Spartz voted against a budget resolution that laid the framework for the May 22 vote over concerns it would increase the federal deficit. Frank Mrvan, Democrat, 1st Congressional District: Nay Rudy Yakym, Republican, 2nd Congressional District: Yea Marlin Stutzman, Republican, 3rd Congressional District: Yea James Baird, Republican, 4th Congressional District: Yea Victoria Spartz, Republican, 5th Congressional District: Yea Jefferson Shreve, Republican, 6th Congressional District: Yea André Carson, Democrat, 7th Congressional District: Nay Mark Messmer, Republican, 8th Congressional District: Yea Erin Houchin, Republican, 9th Congressional District: Yea USA TODAY contributed to this story. Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany. Sign up for our free weekly politics newsletter, Checks & Balances, curated by IndyStar politics and government reporters. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: How Indiana U.S. representatives voted for Trump's tax bill
