Senate GOP delays key vote on Trump budget
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Senate GOP leader John Thune speaking earlier this week. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) was forced to delay a key procedural vote on Thursday as he grappled with lingering concerns among Republican senators about President Trump's "one, big beautiful bill," according to multiple senators.
Why it matters: It's a reminder that Republican leaders on both sides of the Capitol have an enormously difficult challenge ahead of them to pass Trump's sweeping agenda. And this is supposed to be the easy part.
Between the lines: Thune has been pushing to get the budget resolution passed fast.
- He can only afford to lose three votes.
- Concerns about Medicaid cuts, making the 2017 tax cuts permanent and raising the debt ceiling have left some GOP senators on the fence.
What we're hearing: The vote was expected late Thursday afternoon. The previous confirmation vote was held open for an extended time, while Thune and other GOP senators huddled on the floor.
- Thune then exited the floor without setting up the resolution vote, telling Punchbowl News, "Well, just trying to answer everybody's questions. We're doing our best to be patient and make sure everybody's comfortable."
- A leadership aide said discussions are ongoing and that there were no scheduling announcements.
Zoom in: Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) have expressed concerns about measures in the resolution that could trigger Medicaid cuts.
- Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has expressed concerns over the same issue, and also wants a promise of a vote on his bill that aims to help victims of nuclear radiation in exchange for voting to raise the debt ceiling.
- Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is an expected no, given the bill includes new spending and raises the debt ceiling by up to $5 trillion.
- Just those four would be too many "no" votes to move forward, and there could be others with concerns.
What they're saying: "I don't love the Medicaid language that's in there," Hawley told Axios. At the time, when asked if he would vote no, he said, "We'll see. There's hours until the vote."
- Murkowski told Axios on Thursday that she's still "working through some things."
- She said she has been clear that "the House provisions that would ultimately lead to significant cuts in Medicaid are something that won't work for me and Alaska."
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
