U.S. Senator Susan Collins speaks with Senator Lisa Murkowski as Lori Chavez-DeRemer, U.S. President Trump’s nominee to be secretary of labor testifies before a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 19, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura/File Photo
Punchbowl reporter Andrew Desiderio posted on X that he believes that the 2026 budget, referred to as the "big, beautiful bill," doesn't have the votes to get through the U.S. Senate as it stands.
According to Desiderio, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said that he referred the package to the Appropriations Committee.
It's "an acknowledgment they don’t have the votes for the bill as-is," he wrote.
Among those with "concerns" about the bill is Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), who is the chair of the committee. She doesn't like the cuts to global health funding, while other lawmakers are bothered by cuts to PBS and NPR.
