Trump’s megabill hits more trouble as Senate conservatives demand changes
by Alexander Bolton - 06/20/25 6:00 AM ET
The Senate version of legislation to enact President Trump’s agenda is hitting new turbulence as conservatives led by Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) are demanding deeper spending cuts to address the nation’s $2.2 trillion annual deficit.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has focused this week on addressing the concerns of Senate GOP colleagues such as Sens. Josh Hawley (Mo.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), who raised alarms about cuts to federal Medicaid spending.
But Thune has to worry about his right flank as Johnson and his allies are threatening to hold up the bill unless GOP leaders agree to deeper cuts to federal Medicaid spending and a faster rollback of the renewable energy tax credits enacted under former President Biden.
Johnson, Lee and Scott are threatening to vote as a bloc against the bill next week unless it undergoes significant changes.
Thune plans to bring the bill to the floor Wednesday or Thursday next week, but he may not have enough votes to proceed on the legislation, say Republican senators.
“There’s no way I vote for this thing next week,” Johnson told reporters.
“I don’t want to go the Nancy Pelosi route, ‘You got to pass this bill to know what’s in it,’” he added, referring to the Democratic Speaker emerita who represents California.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5360058-conservatives-demand-deeper-spending-cuts/
