A Republican civil war over President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” is brewing on Capitol Hill, as Senate leaders rejected key House provisions and warned that trying to reconcile the two versions could be a “big mistake.”
That’s according to Axios, which reported Monday that top Republicans in the Senate are bracing for a showdown over Trump-supported tax cuts, Medicaid spending, and high-stakes tax provisions. While neither chamber in Congress wants the undertaking of a formal conference, Senate GOP leaders say the path forward is already appearing bleak.
“That would be a big mistake," Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Axios about the idea of a full conference between the House and Senate. "That would drag this thing out."
The Senate bill, released Monday by Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo (R-ID), rewrites major pieces of the House package, according to Axios. It places deeper cuts on Medicaid, drops the child tax credit from $2,500 to $2,200, and puts new limits on Trump’s “key priorities — no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and no tax on seniors.”
“Members of the House SALT caucus were outraged that the limit was reduced from $40,000 to $10,000 in the Senate text,” Axios reported.
"Everyone knows this 10K number will have to go up. And it will," Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) wrote in an X post.
Tensions remained high Monday night as Senate Republicans huddled together to discuss the bill.
"We're further away than we were before," one GOP senator told Axios as he left the meeting.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) said he’s a “no,” while Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) blasted the Medicaid changes. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats criticized the bill they say could strip health care from millions and push more hospitals toward closure.
"This could lead to even more than the 16 million people expected to lose health insurance and the hundreds of hospitals and health centers facing higher risk of closure," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told his followers of the bill on X.