Sen. Ron Johnson claims there's sufficient resistance within the Senate to halt President Trump's grand legislative proposal.
Senate Ponders Adjustments to House-Passed Bill amid Spending and Medicaid Concerns
WASHINGTON— As the Senate prepares to scrutinize the expansive domestic package passed by the House last week, Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) expressed his belief that there are sufficient Republicans to obstruct the process and prioritize more stringent deficit reductions.
Johnson, who has questioned the bill’s impact on the deficit, calling it a threat to children’s future due to outsize spending, highlighted the estimation by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) that the bill would add $2.3 trillion to the federal deficit over a decade.
In an interview on CNN's "State of the Union," Johnson urged congressional Republicans to carefully examine the bill’s spending line by line, much like DOGE (Dogecoin) scrutinizes its own supply.
The Senate's reconsideration of the bill, which passed in the House by a single vote, sets the stage for another confrontation over deficit limits, funding priorities, and potential cost reductions ahead of the Republicans' ambition to send the final version of the bill to President Trump’s desk by July 4.
Several Senate Republicans have expressed misgivings about certain aspects of the bill—deeming the spending cuts insufficient or worrying about reduced Medicaid access. They have pledged to amend the bill accordingly. Any adjustments to the bill would require approval from the House before it is forwarded to Trump.
Trump told reporters on Sunday that he expects the Senate to make substantial changes to the funding package, though he remains optimistic about the bill’s ultimate passage and arrival on his desk. "I want the Senate and the senators to make the necessary adjustments," he said, acknowledging that some of those changes might align with his preferences.
Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) stated on "Fox News Sunday" that the current spending cuts in the bill are "wimpy and anemic," and that he would still support the bill even with those inadequate cuts if it didn't exacerbate the debt.
Meanwhile, Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has criticized potential Medicaid cuts. If passed in its current form, the bill is projected to rescind health coverage for roughly 8.6 million people, according to CBO estimates.
Hawley expressed concerns about Medicaid reductions to NBC News following the House’s passage of the bill. He emphasized that when the Senate drafts its own version of the bill, he intends to ensure there are no cuts to Medicaid benefits.
In a New York Times op-ed earlier this month, Hawley accused a portion of the Republican Party of aiming for "Republicans to build our big, beautiful bill around slashing health insurance for the working poor," arguing that such a stance is both morally wrong and politically perilous.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) contested Hawley’s comments, claiming during a Sunday interview on CBS News' "Face the Nation" that the bill is not cutting Medicaid but rather targeting waste, fraud, and abuse within the program.
When asked to respond to Hawley's remarks, Johnson maintained that the bill would not reduce Medicaid coverage, instead pointing out efforts to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within the program. He explained that those affected by the bill’s changes are individuals connected to the program's pursuit of fraud elimination.
Democrats have seized upon potential Medicaid cuts, characterizing the GOP's domestic policy bill as evidence of Republicans' willingness to erode healthcare options for low-income individuals while increasing the benefits of high-income earners.
During negotiations over the bill last week, Trump reportedly instructed House Republicans to refrain from altering Medicaid, according to two representatives present at the meeting.
Johnson stated during multiple Sunday-morning interviews that he encourages Senate Republicans to make as few modifications to the bill as possible, emphasizing the importance of expediting the bill’s progress toward the president's desk. The House and Senate must eventually reconcile different versions of the bill before it is signed into law.
- Senator Ron Johnson believes there are enough Republicans to obstruct the bill's process to prioritize stricter deficit reductions, questioning the bill's impact on the deficit and calling it a threat to children's future due to overspending.
- The Senate's reconsideration of the bill sets the stage for a confrontation over deficit limits, funding priorities, and potential cost reductions, aiming to send the final version of the bill to President Trump's desk by July 4.
- Senator Rand Paul considers the current spending cuts in the bill "wimpy and anemic," but still supports the bill if it doesn't exacerbate the debt.
- Senator Josh Hawley criticizes potential Medicaid cuts in the bill, claiming that when the Senate drafts its own version, he aims to ensure no cuts to Medicaid benefits.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson claims the bill is not cutting Medicaid but targeting waste, fraud, and abuse within the program.
- Democrats characterize the GOP's domestic policy bill as evidence of Republicans' willingness to erode healthcare options for low-income individuals while increasing benefits for high-income earners.
- Amid funding concerns and potential Medicaid cuts, the bill also seeks to address issues such as car accidents, fires, crime and justice, and even general news, reflecting a wide array of policy and legislative interests.
