WASHINGTON − President Donald Trump’s package of legislative priorities − stuffed with tax cuts, Medicaid reforms and border security funding − heads into the home stretch in the Senate amid uncertainty it can reach the finish line.
The Senate is set to launch an hours-long debate June 28 that should culminate with a vote in which Democrats are all expected to vote no. The question for Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, is whether enough Republicans will support their version to send it back to the House.
“We’ll find out,” Thune said of the final vote anticipated – now expected to be on June 29.
If successful, the House would have to vote on the Senate changes in order to reach Trump’s desk by his self-imposed deadline of July 4. The Senate has trimmed the House version from about 1,100 pages to 940 − and still faces votes on what are expected to be dozens of amendments.
The success of Trump’s domestic agenda for tax cuts and border security hangs in the balance. Republican approval of the spending blueprint would allow a majority of the 100-member Senate to approve all of Trump’s priorities included in it through legislation later in the year, rather than needing 60 votes to overcome a filibuster for each measure.
Here’s what we know about the legislative package:
Paging Vice President JD Vance: The Senate might need a tie-breaker
Coming out of a GOP lunch June 28, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, said he’s “under the impression” Senate leadership has the buy-in to advance Trump’s bill. But, “I’m thinking we need the VP,” he said.
Republicans need a simple 51-vote majority to pass the bill. But with a tight 53-member majority and ongoing disputes, every swing vote counts. If they hit 50, Vice President JD Vance, in his capacity as Senate president, can break the tie in Trump’s favor. –Savannah Kuchar
Environmental groups criticize bill’s support for fossil fuels
Environmental advocates criticized the Senate version of Trump’s legislative priorities for not just ending incentives for renewable energy but setting taxes on wind and solar power generation.
The advocacy group Natural Resources Defense Council estimated taxes on some projects could grow 50%. The bill could also trigger the largest sale of public lands in history for logging and oil, gas and coal production, according to the group.
Trump campaigned on boosting domestic energy production with the phrase “drill, baby, drill.”
“The new budget reconciliation bill text is a shocking fossil fuels industry fever dream come to life,” said Christy Goldfuss, the council’s executive director. “The bill has gone from fossil fuels boosterism to an active effort from Congress to kill wind and solar energy in the United States.” – Bart Jansen
GOP senators join Trump for golf
President Donald Trump had no public events on his calendar, but he had a couple of key allies join him for golf at his Northern Virginia course: Republican Sens. Eric Schmitt of Missouri and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
No word from the links about birdies or bogies. But they’ll be keeping score at the Senate, where a 4 p.m. vote is expected to begin debate on Trump’s legislative priorities. – Bart Jansen
Saying ‘no’ and voting ‘no’ two different things: Sen. Markwayne Mullin
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, a supporter of Trump’s legislative package, told reporters at the Capitol that lawmakers warning about voting against it and actually voting “no” are two different things.
Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin; Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina; and Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, have each said they were opposed to the bill that is still changing. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, have voiced concerns about it.
“Everybody’s got concerns, but saying you’re voting ‘no’ and when you get to the floor and voting ‘no’ is two totally different things,” Mullin said. “I don’t believe in losing and we’re going to get the votes.” – Bart Jansen
Budget blueprint debate could be 30 hours of ‘nonsense’: Sen. Brian Moreno
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, a supporter of Trump’s legislative package, said a final vote would likely come after 30 hours of “nonsense” from Democrats voting on proposals to change the contentious bill.
“It’s an absolutely historic and transformative piece of legislation that reverses four years of an assault on American workers,” Moreno said. “I want everybody watching this to remember this as you listen to probably what’s going to be 30-plus hours of complete nonsense from the other side.” – Bart Jansen
Senate meets before debating Trump legislative package
The Senate gaveled in at 2 p.m., in anticipation of beginning debate on President Trump’s legislative priorities, but lawmakers haven’t yet voted to begin talking about the measure.
A majority of senators must agree to begin debate, which can sometimes kill legislation before it begins. With 53 Republicans and 47 Democratic caucus members, just a few GOP lawmakers could prevent a debate.
But the hurdle appears a mere technicality because wavering GOP members such as Sen. Susan Collins of Maine have said she would support the debate even if not necessarily the final bill. -Bart Jansen
Sen. Josh Hawley says Republicans have “soul searching” to do
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, had been one of the leading voices among Senate Republicans raising concerns about proposed cuts to Medicaid and how that would impact his largely rural state.
But after studying the latest, finalized bill text — which delays pushing costs onto states and establishes a $25 billion rural hospital fund — Hawley said he’s a yes on passing the bill.
Beyond this weekend’s vote, though, Hawley said he intends to keep pushing back in effort to prevent the delayed federal spending cuts from ever going into effect.
“This has been an unhappy episode, here in Congress, this effort to cut to Medicaid,” he said. “And I think, frankly, my party needs to do some soul searching.” — Savannah Kuchar
Sen. Susan Collins remains a wildcard
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she’ll support Senate leadership bringing the mega bill to the floor and kicking off presumably hours of debate. But she cautioned reporters that she remains uncertain how she’ll side when a final vote gets called.
“That does not, in any way, predict how I’m going to vote on the final passage,” Collins told reporters while walking into the Capitol for the start of the day’s events.
Collins said her final vote ultimately will depend on what the bill looks like after lawmakers — including herself — introduce and potentially tack on further amendments.
“There’s some very good changes that have been made in the latest version, but I want to see further changes,” Collins said. – Savannah Kuchar
What is in the Senate bill?
The largest provisions in the legislation would extend expiring tax cuts and create a few new ones, and a dramatic increasing in spending on border security.
The heart of the legislation would extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts which are set to expire at end of the year. Republicans have said defeat of the measure would lead to a $4 trillion tax hike over the next decade.
New tax deductions Trump campaigned on would apply to tips for employees such as waiters through 2028 and for overtime pay. The Senate capped the deduction at $25,000 and weakened the break for individuals with income above $150,000.
For border security, the bill would increase funding about $150 billion for the Department of Homeland Security. The bill authorizes $45 billion for new detention centers as Trump ramps up arrests and $27 billion for a mass deportation campaign.
A crucial provision would increase the amount the country can borrow by $5 trillion. The country’s debt is already approaching $37 trillion and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned the current limit on borrowing will be reached in August.
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a Republican holdout on the bill, said he wouldn’t vote for the bill unless the debt limit gets a separate vote. But Republican leaders want to keep the unpopular vote within the overall package. −Bart Jansen
What’s not in the Senate version of the bill?
Republican support in the Senate waned after Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled several significant provisions would have to be removed to avoid a filibuster.
Republicans removed provisions to curb environmental regulations; restrict federal judges’ powers; bulk up immigration enforcement; and cut funding from a consumer protection agency.
MacDonough also ruled against provisions that aimed to reduce Medicaid spending on health care programs for undocumented immigrants. −Bart Jansen
What does Trump say about the Senate version of the bill?
The Trump administration “strongly supports” the Senate version of the bill, in a White House Office of Management and Budget statement June 28.
The statement isn’t intended to favor the Senate version over the House version on any particular provision, but to signal Trump would sign it if approved by Congress. The two-page statement highlighted provisions for tax cuts, border security, energy and defense.
“President Trump is committed to keeping his promises, and failure to pass this bill would be the ultimate betrayal,” the statement said. −Bart Jansen
Is there really a July 4 deadline?
Trump has told congressional Republicans he’s want this thing wrapped up by Independence Day.
But the due date is less procedural than it is political. The sooner the president can tout legislation that makes good on several of his 2024 campaign promises, including a tax limit on tips and overtime wages, plus extends his 2017 tax cuts for high-income earners, the better.
The more impending deadlines are sometime in August, when Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said the federal government is at risk of hitting its debt ceiling, and the end of the year, when Trump’s first-term tax cuts are set to expire. The legislation up for a vote in the Senate currently contains a provision to raise the debt limit.− Savannah Kuchar
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Senate set to tackle Trump megabill but vote uncertain: Live updates
