U.S. Senate Republicans have engaged in over 24 hours of negotiations regarding amendments to a significant budget bill focused on tax and spending. Still, for all their furious work, the bill seems to have run out of steam, not counting enough votes for passage. Now, the push to get this legislation across the finish line is even more urgent. President Donald Trump has requested that Congress get him a final signed version by Friday.
In May, the full House of Representatives passed their version of the budget bill by the narrow margin of just two votes. They won approval by a single vote. As the clock ticks down, Republican leadership has planned final votes shortly before 10:30 ET (15:30 BST). This timeline is very important as Trump had already floated the idea that he wanted this bill passed by about July 4th.
The amendment process is all but over. Republican Senate leaders are in frantic discussions with conflicted senators to win them over. Four GOP senators—Susan Collins, Thom Tillis, Lisa Murkowski, and Rand Paul—have already signaled that they’ll vote against the bill in its present form. Their public position represents deep opposition. This dissent forms a difficult situation for GOP leadership, which requires only one additional senator to provide a simple majority.
This has resulted in almost complete silence among Democrats in both chambers, who have trumpeted their strong opposition to the bill. Senate Majority Leader John Thune was instrumental in pushing through—in dramatic fashion—one of those amendments by the narrowest of margins. Separately, Vice President JD Vance has come to Capitol Hill. He, too, is poised to be casting tie-breaking votes with increasing tensions within the GOP caucus.
Trump acknowledged the difficulties in meeting the July 4 deadline, stating, “I’d love to do July 4th but I think it’s very hard to do July 4th…. I would say maybe July 4th or somewhere around there.” This admission is a sign of how tenuous the bill’s future has become.
Republicans aim to cut funding from various programs, including healthcare for lower-income Americans and food subsidies, in an attempt to compensate for lost revenue. These proposed cuts have inspired rebellion by party members and Democrats alike.
As negotiations continue, the outcome remains uncertain. The stakes are high as Senate Republicans strive to push this budget bill across the finish line amid internal divisions and external pressures.