Senate confronts challenges for Trump's substantial legislative package following crucial decision from parliament's arbiter of rules
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Let's dive into the latest developing saga surrounding President Donald Trump's domestic policy bill, aiming for a patriotic July 4th passage. The road seems bumpy as GOP lawmakers scramble to alter their bill to comply with Senate rules and snag support within their fractious caucus.
Initially, Senate leaders intended to propel Trump's mammoth domestic policy agenda through their chamber by Saturday morning, delivering it to Speaker Mike Johnson for hurried House approval by the following Tuesday. However, last Thursday, the Senate's referee on rules, Elizabeth MacDonough, nixed key provisions, declaring they don't toe the chamber's strict budget regulations, essential for a 51-vote majority or GOP-only approval.
"We don't dictate the parliamentarian's timetable. We must adapt, but we're pushing forward, and it's still undecided when we'll actually start debating the bill, but trust me, we will," Senate Republican Leader John Thune assured reporters, citing contingency plans to tackle potential speed bumps.
Pivotal among the struck down provisions is the GOP's proposed alterations to taxes states levy to subsidize Medicaid coverage—an issue known as the provider tax — potentially generating $200 billion to fund bill programs. Now, Republican leaders scramble to rework this provision, balancing Senate rules with their fractious Senate GOP conference's approval. The exact length of this process is uncertain, according to several senior GOP sources.
This parliamentarian's decision means Republicans must find another method to offset their president's expansive domestic agenda's costs just days before their initial vote date. Thune has previously opted against challenging the parliamentarian, veering clear of potential detrimental chamber precedents.
"We'll carry on our work and find a solution to achieve the desired results," a Republican source privy to negotiations shared with CNN.
Medicaid Headache
Proposed modifications to the Medicaid program have split the Senate GOP, with members such as Senators Josh Hawley (Missouri) and Susan Collins (Maine) voicing concerns that the new constraints threaten rural healthcare facilities in their states. On the flip side, others envisage deeper Medicaid cuts to help finance the bill's multitrillion-dollar tax revamp. Republican leadership is contemplating whether they can mold the bill's Medicaid provisions to placate the parliamentarian a second time.
Hawley declared Thursday that he advocates for the House model, which freezes provider tax rates, and claimed he had spoken with Trump the preceding evening, with the president echoing his sense. However, the House's approach to provider taxes, which was also included in the Senate bill, was struck down by the parliamentarian.
"His message was, do what the House did, so I agree with that," he said, expressing his advice to leadership. Pushed on the parliamentarian's ruling that also invalidated a freeze on provider taxes, Hawley admitted, "They'll have to rework everything——this would provide an opportunity to rectify."
"This would present leadership with a chance to fix things and actually do something that won't harm rural hospitals," he continued, without detailing specific provisions he believes could pass muster with the parliamentarian.
North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, who faces reelection in 2026, has cautioned his peers for the past week that he won't vote to start Senate debate on the bill unless he receives state-specific answers.
"I'm still waiting for answers to my questions, so whether we rework this or revert to the House baseline and build upon it, these are discussions leadership will be engaging in today," Tillis told CNN. "If reworking means I can receive the answers I deem essential to comprehend my state's impact, I'm agreeable. However, if reworking means I still won't have the answers I need to grasp the bill's impact, I'm opposed."
Legislation Timeline in Peril
A number of Republican senators voiced concerns over their timeline to enact the megabill, pointing out frustrations after the parliamentarian's ruling late last week.
"I'm bothered by the parliamentarian's power to make these decisions," Sen. Markwayne Mullin expressed, insinuating without evidence that "it appears politically motivated."
"Parliamentarians shouldn't be involved in politics, and I'm not accusing her of that; I want to see her rationale for this decision before I make a judgment," the Oklahoma Republican explained.
Senator Tommy Tuberville went a step further, advocating for the parliamentarian's dismissal.
"The MP and the Left's pawn, appointed by Harry Reid and advising Al Gore, just VETOED a provision BANNING illegals from stealing Medicaid from citizens. This reflects the swamp that Americans despise," Tuberville shared on Twitter.
The Senate parliamentarian is a nonpartisan role established in the 1930s. In this role, MacDonough (the first woman to hold the post) advises the chamber on the application of its rules, protocols, and precedents. This encompasses guiding senators in a bill-review process known as a "Byrd Bath" when they aim to use Senate budget rules to pass bills with a simple majority.
Senators acknowledged that the parliamentarian's judgments may slow their timeline for passing the bill.
"One option would be to proceed without the provider tax provisions and we can do it fairly rapidly," Louisiana Senator John Kennedy pointed out, acknowledging that deficit hawks within the GOP caucus would create a fuss if leadership opted for this course.
"Another option would be to revise it, which will delay things——will Thune keep us here until we revise? I don't know," he continued.
Amounting to "it's quite annoying," Florida GOP Senator Rick Scott expressed his confidence in his caucus's ability to reform the language.
However, when pressed on whether the legislation could still pass the Senate this weekend as Republicans anticipated, Scott expressed uncertainty: "Who knows? I'm sticking around until we get it done."
- The latest roadblock in President Donald Trump's domestic policy bill passage comes from key provisions being nixed by the Senate's parliamentarian, which is essential in complying with chamber rules and securing support within the Senate GOP conference.
- As the Senate GOP grapples with finding another method to offset the costs of President Trump's expansive domestic agenda, Senator Thom Tillis has voiced concerns about the legislation timeline, emphasizing the need for state-specific answers before agreeing to debate and vote on the bill.
