Senators Split on Trump’s Spending, Tax Reform/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill faces scrutiny in the Senate, where Republicans are divided over Medicaid cuts, food aid changes, and the national deficit. GOP leaders must unite moderates, rural-state lawmakers, and fiscal conservatives to pass the legislation by July 4. The House barely passed the bill, and compromise is now crucial.
Trump’s Tax Plan: Republican Senators Quick Looks
- Rural Concerns: Senators warn Medicaid cuts could shutter rural hospitals.
- Former Governors Speak Out: Worry over cost-shifting to states for Medicaid, SNAP.
- Moderates Skeptical: Murkowski and Collins cautious about health, energy provisions.
- Fiscal Hawks Resist: Paul, Johnson want deeper cuts, oppose debt ceiling increase.
- SALT Divide: Senate GOP opposes House SALT cap increase benefitting high-tax states.
- Tight Deadline: Senate GOP aims for July 4 passage, facing logistical hurdles.
Deep Look: GOP Senators Clash Over Trump’s Sweeping Tax and Spending Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump’s ambitious legislative push to reshape taxes and federal spending is hitting turbulence in the Senate, where key Republican factions are raising red flags over Medicaid cuts, food assistance programs, and the bill’s $4 trillion debt ceiling hike.
The House passed the bill in May by a razor-thin margin, but the Senate, with its more ideologically diverse Republican conference, is proving harder to unite. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has set an aggressive target to pass the legislation by Independence Day, but disagreements threaten to derail the timeline.
Rural Senators Warn of Hospital Closures
GOP senators from heavily rural states are sounding the alarm about provisions that freeze provider taxes — a mechanism states use to draw more Medicaid funding. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said the move would devastate rural healthcare:
“Hospitals will close. It’s that simple.”
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) echoed the concern, calling provider taxes vital to Alabama’s Medicaid system:
“Start cutting that out, we’ve got big problems. Might lose some folks.”
These senators also oppose the House-passed increase in the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap — a measure aimed at appeasing suburban New York Republicans that rural senators argue unfairly favors high-tax, liberal states.
“There’s going to have to be some adjustment,” said Thune.
Ex-Governors Push Back on Cost Shifts
Several senators who previously served as state governors are balking at cost transfers embedded in the legislation. The bill would force states to absorb 5% of SNAP (food stamp) administrative costs, and even more for states with high error rates.
Sen. Jim Justice (R-WV) warned the measure could have dire social consequences:
“We’re on our way to cannibalizing ourselves. We don’t want to hurt kids and families.”
Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) said some senators are now consulting current governors to explore “incentive-oriented ideas” to replace the proposed penalties.
Tuberville, expected to run for governor in Alabama, criticized the concept of federal cost-dumping:
“We can’t start a federal program and say, ‘Send it back to the states and let them take a big hunk of it.’ That’s not how we do it.”
Moderates Remain Wary
Moderate Republicans are proving pivotal — and cautious. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) is reviewing SNAP changes, while Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) is raising concerns about expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies and energy tax credit rollbacks.
“We’re looking at this through the lens of how people will be affected,” Murkowski said.
She joined Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Curtis (R-UT), and Jerry Moran (R-KS) in opposing fast repeal of energy credits, arguing that uncertainty could drive up consumer prices and hinder clean energy investment.
The Right Flank: It’s Not Enough
Conservatives on the Senate’s right flank say the bill doesn’t go far enough in cutting government spending. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) have been most vocal, with Paul calling the debt ceiling hike a deal-breaker.
The bill includes a $4 trillion debt ceiling increase to cover upcoming obligations, a move GOP leadership insists is necessary to prevent default by mid-July.
“I won’t vote for it,” Paul said plainly.
Johnson, who met with Trump last week, says he supports the bill’s goals but wants more fiscal discipline:
“We’re a long ways from making the deficit curve bend down,” he admitted, but added, “There are a lot of good things in this bill. I want it to succeed.”
Still, he said Trump’s pressure is real — and effective:
“I need to be more positive.”
Countdown to July 4
With the clock ticking and intra-party fissures widening, Thune and Trump’s team face a steep challenge: balance the fiscal conservatism of Paul and Johnson, the Medicaid defense from rural senators, and the practical state-level experience of former governors.
And with the House narrowly passing the bill, the Senate’s changes may necessitate a return to the lower chamber — a complication that risks pushing the bill past its July 4 target.
“We’re juggling budget hawks and safety net defenders in one room,” one GOP aide told AP.
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