Republicans need to act fast if they want to help Trump implement his agenda. But there’s many obstacles in their way.
And a leading Republican rocked the GOP with an ominous warning they can’t ignore.
In a high-stakes push to pass President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” Senate Republicans face mounting challenges to meet their self-imposed deadline. The House GOP advanced its version of the massive legislation last month, leaving Senate Republicans scrambling to finalize their own proposal. With the clock ticking toward a planned Independence Day recess, doubts are growing about whether the Senate can deliver.
Each of the 10 Senate committees has released segments of the bill, working to align them with Senate rules while addressing concerns from diverse factions. Republican leaders aim to bring the package to the Senate floor next week, but Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., a fiscal conservative, warns that resistance within the ranks could derail the timeline.
“I think we have enough people that are saying, ‘No, we’re not going to proceed to the bill prior to July 4,’” Johnson said during a recent press call. “We need more time, but I think our efforts now are concentrated.”
A Call for Deeper Cuts
Johnson has consistently advocated for deeper spending cuts than those proposed in either chamber’s plan. The House version targets $1.5 trillion in reductions, while the Senate aims for $2 trillion. His remarks came as he unveiled a 31-page report analyzing the GOP’s efforts to advance Trump’s agenda.
The report, a direct challenge to the Congressional Budget Office’s projections, explores various scenarios for the bill’s impact on deficits and economic growth, assuming annual growth rates of 2%, 3%, and 4%.
It also disputes optimistic claims from Republican leaders and the White House, emphasizing the reality of the nation’s fiscal challenges and the potential effects of the “big, beautiful bill.”
Acknowledging House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Trump’s claims of historic spending cuts in the House bill, Sen. Johnson countered, “we’ve faced an unprecedented level of spending increase” since the pandemic.
He urged his colleagues to focus on the bigger picture: “You can argue about the twigs and leaves on the forest floor, but I’m forcing everybody to take a step back and look at the forest. It’s blazing, and we got to put this forest fire out.”
Growing Resistance and a Tight Vote
Complicating matters, other senators have raised concerns about provisions like a proposed debt-ceiling increase and Medicaid reforms, potentially forming a coalition to block the bill. With Democrats sidelined by the budget reconciliation process, which bypasses the filibuster, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., can afford to lose only three Republican votes to pass the legislation.
Johnson expressed hope that Thune would delay a floor vote, warning, “I really think it’ll be voted down.” He clarified that rejecting the bill wouldn’t be a rebuke of Thune or Trump, but a call for more deliberation:
“If we do vote it down, I don’t want anybody to interpret it as a slap in the face of either Leader Thune or President Trump. It’s just saying, ‘Guys, we need more time. The ball has been in the Senate court for two weeks.’”
A Proposal for a Better Process
Instead of rushing the sprawling legislation, Johnson proposes splitting it into two or three smaller packages, allowing lawmakers multiple opportunities to refine it.
“I understand this process is to kind of jam everybody, but let’s not do what Nancy Pelosi did and say, ‘Hey, got to pass this bill to figure out what’s in it,’” he said. “Let’s know fully what’s in it. Let’s do as President Trump asked. … He wants the Senate to make a better bill.”
As the Senate grapples with these divisions, the fate of Trump’s flagship bill hangs in the balance, with time running out to meet the ambitious deadline.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
