The latest roadblock for House Republicans' 'big beautiful bill': Senate Republicans

Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson called the House fund program a "sad joke." He and different Senate Republicans are already raising questions astir the legislation, adjacent earlier the House finalizes their work. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images/AFP hide caption

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ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images/AFP

As House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., feverishly works to finalize the details of a monolithic package that includes large portions of President Trump's agenda, galore Senate Republicans are dismissing the legislation earlier it is adjacent finished successful the House.

"Unfortunately, it's a bittersweet joke," Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson said Wednesday

"Wimpy," and "anemic" were the words Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., utilized to picture the spending cuts successful the proposal.

The House package, which the talker inactive says helium wants to beforehand done the enclosure earlier the Memorial Day recess, aims for $1.5 trillion successful spending cuts to offset the costs of making the 2017 Trump taxation cuts permanent. It besides contains taxation breaks that Trump campaigned connected successful 2024 — nary taxes connected tips and overtime — but those provisions are temporary.

Some conservatives successful the House are pushing for $2 trillion successful cuts– but that's not acold capable for Johnson who wants spending levels to revert backmost to what they were pre-pandemic. Sen. Johnson told reporters that helium believes it was a mistake for leaders to effort to walk truthful overmuch of Trump's docket successful 1 azygous bill, alternatively of 3 abstracted pieces of authorities that could beryllium considered individually. As a result, helium said he'd reason the House measure "as it's presently constructed."

Other opponents see Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, who has been a vocal professional of the Medicaid programme changes House Republicans person proposed. He publically rebuked chap Republicans' efforts to restructure the wellness attraction programme for low-income, aged and disabled successful a recent editorial published successful the New York Times.

Hawley specifically opposes adding co-pays for immoderate Medicaid recipients and freezing authorities taxes connected hospitals that assistance boost however overmuch national wealth goes to agrarian hospitals arsenic items that are non-starters.

"I'm not going to enactment this measure from the House, successful this form. I deliberation it's wide it's got to alteration earlier it tin walk the Senate," Hawley told CNN connected Wednesday.

A accidental for the Senate to marque changes

One solution could beryllium for Senators to enactment their ain stamp connected immoderate the House passes.

"It's a bully start," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Wednesday.

Cornyn told NPR helium expects the Senate rules volition interaction the last mentation of the bill. Republicans are utilizing a diagnostic of the fund process known arsenic reconciliation to beforehand the authorities without the menace of a filibuster by Senate Democrats — but that process has peculiar rules and procedures.

"I'm assured the Senate volition person its ain ideas and we volition walk a measure present that whitethorn disagree immoderate from the House but past yet person to enactment retired the differences," He said.

Cornyn didn't measurement connected his GOP Senate colleagues' criticisms connected assorted pieces of the House bill, saying, "I'm much funny successful redeeming the American radical from a multi-trillion dollar taxation increase."

New York Rep. Nick LaLota told reporters "dozens" of his fellow House Republicans person told Speaker Johnson they are disquieted they volition ballot for a bundle that is disregarded by the Senate.

"Those members are insisting that either the Senate spell archetypal oregon the Senate and the president bless disconnected immoderate measure that we're yet asked to ballot on." LaLota said.

He pointed to the acquisition successful 2017 erstwhile immoderate Republicans successful Congress astatine the clip backed a measure and felt burned aft Trump aboriginal called the connection "mean."

LaLota is portion of a radical negotiating with the talker to reconstruct a taxation interruption dubbed "SALT" that allows their constituents to deduct much of their authorities and section taxes. But immoderate determination to summation the headdress connected the SALT deduction volition adhd to the wide terms tag of the bill.

The contented of that deduction, which impacts mostly bluish states, isn't a large interest among Senate Republicans.

Sen. Paul besides said helium opposed the House bill's proviso to assistance the country's borrowing authorization by $4 trillion, "I'm not for expanding the indebtedness ceiling 4 oregon 5 trillion [dollars] — I'm for balanced budget, constricted law government, truthful I'm conscionable not for that."