Senate taking up Trump fund measure this week
Washington — The Senate is forging up this week connected President Trump's "one large beauteous bill," facing a tight, self-imposed deadline to get the authorities to his table up of the July 4 holiday.
"It's going to beryllium a engaged period — we person a batch to get done," Senate Majority Leader John Thune said connected the Senate level Monday, adding that the precocious chamber's "biggest focus" volition beryllium connected getting the president's docket passed.
In a razor-thin ballot past month, the House passed the legislation, which addresses the president's tax, defence and vigor priorities. The ballot came aft weeks of intraparty disagreement implicit a fig of provisions, similar Medicaid restrictions. That measure has present made its mode to the Senate, wherever immoderate of the aforesaid tensions beryllium — and caller dynamics person begun to instrumentality shape.
Thune, a South Dakota Republican, outlined to reporters Monday that the process is underway, saying "I deliberation we're connected way — I hope, astatine slightest — to beryllium capable to nutrient thing that we tin walk done the Senate, nonstop backmost to the House, person them walk and enactment connected the president's table by the Fourth of July."
But Thune tin lone spend to suffer 3 Republican votes connected the bill, with each Democrats expected to ballot against it. A fistful of Senate Republicans person already expressed absorption to the House-passed bill. GOP leaders volition beryllium focused connected uniting the league astir the bill, and possible changes, successful the days ahead.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, speaks to members of the media astatine the U.S. Capitol successful Washington, D.C., connected Monday, June 2, 2025.
Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The bulk person acknowledged the delicate equilibrium connected Monday, telling reporters that the Senate measure volition "have to beryllium tracked reasonably closely, obviously, with the House bill," citing its "fragile majority." Thune said the House "struck a precise delicate equilibrium successful getting it passed successful the House successful the archetypal place."
"But determination are immoderate things that senators want, you know, added to the bill, or, you know, things that we would bash somewhat differently," Thune said.
Meanwhile, the president took an progressive relation successful the process arsenic the Senate returned to Washington from recess connected Monday. He met with Thune and spoke with a fistful of cardinal Senate Republicans, including Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Josh Hawley of Missouri, who person expressed absorption to immoderate of the bill's components.
Johnson, on with Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, has been among the starring voices successful the precocious enclosure calling for deeper spending cuts successful the bill, which aims astatine contiguous to chopped $1.5 trillion, portion besides advocating for separating a indebtedness ceiling summation from the legislation.
The Wisconsin Republican said helium had a "very respectful conversation" with Mr. Trump, telling reporters that helium and the president "by and ample stock the aforesaid goal," but person a "difference successful sentiment successful presumption of however to bash it."
Paul has pledged to oppose the measure owed to its indebtedness ceiling increase. Mr. Trump again called retired the Kentucky Republican connected Truth Social connected Tuesday, saying Paul "votes NO connected everything, but ne'er has immoderate applicable oregon constructive ideas."
Beyond interest astir spending cuts, different Senate Republicans person voiced interest for Medicaid restrictions, including Hawley. The Missouri Republican told reporters Monday that the president told him erstwhile they spoke that determination should beryllium "no Medicaid payment cuts," adding that helium told Mr. Trump that they are "singing from the aforesaid hymnbook." But Hawley remains acrophobic astir changes to supplier taxes and copay requirements successful the legislation.
The president besides weighed successful connected Truth Social connected Monday, urging Senate Republicans to enactment rapidly connected the bill.
"With the Senate coming backmost to Washington today, I telephone connected each of my Republican friends successful the Senate and House to enactment arsenic accelerated arsenic they tin to get this Bill to MY DESK earlier the Fourth of JULY," Mr. Trump wrote.
Further complicating matters, the Senate besides has to contend with strict limits connected the reconciliation process, which governs the legislation. Though the process allows the Senate to bypass a 60-vote threshold required to beforehand astir legislation, it besides comes with its ain hurdles. Under what's known arsenic the Byrd rule, each provisions successful the authorities indispensable person nonstop budgetary consequences. And senators whitethorn situation immoderate information of the measure that they accidental doesn't woody with taxes, spending oregon the indebtedness bounds and inquire the Senate parliamentarian to resoluteness the dispute.
Thune said "Byrd conversations" person been going connected for the past week and would proceed this week and next. And erstwhile asked whether Senate Republicans would regularisation retired overruling the parliamentarian, helium told reporters "we're not going there."
Alan He and Cristina Corujo contributed to this report.
Kaia Hubbard is simply a authorities newsman for CBS News Digital, based successful Washington, D.C.
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