As the Senate prepares to take up President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and immigration bill, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is urging caution, asking Senate Republicans to make minimal changes to the legislation that narrowly passed the House last week.
Speaking on “Fox News Sunday,” Johnson emphasized the fragility of the bill’s support, noting that it passed the House with just two Republican defections following tense negotiations. “I encouraged them to modify the package as little as possible,” Johnson said, referencing a Senate GOP luncheon last Tuesday. He warned that any significant alterations could unravel the delicate balance that allowed the measure to pass.
Despite Johnson’s plea for restraint, Senate Republicans have indicated they intend to leave their mark on the bill. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) acknowledged Wednesday that the upper chamber will bring its own priorities to the negotiations. Thune pointed to possible changes including making certain tax cuts permanent—many of which are currently set to expire after a few years—and addressing concerns about proposed Medicaid revisions included in the House version.
One of the primary obstacles in the Senate appears to be fiscal conservatives who are alarmed about the bill’s impact on the federal deficit. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), appearing on “Fox News Sunday,” criticized the legislation for what he called inadequate spending cuts and projected debt increases.
“I think the cuts currently in the bill are wimpy and anemic,” Paul said. “I’d support the bill if it didn’t explode the debt—but the math doesn’t add up.” He added that his support is contingent on the removal of a provision to raise the debt ceiling by $5 trillion. “There’s got to be someone left in Washington who thinks debt and deficits are still a problem,” he said.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) voiced similar objections during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” arguing that the House rushed the bill through without adequately exploring deeper spending cuts. “This is our only chance to reset spending to pre-pandemic levels,” he said. “But doing that takes time and real effort.” He also suggested that enough Senate Republicans share his concerns to potentially block the bill until more aggressive deficit reduction is prioritized.
Still, not all Senate Republicans are pessimistic. Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) expressed confidence that the Senate can meet its self-imposed July 4 deadline to finalize the bill. Speaking on “Sunday Morning Futures,” Schmitt said there’s growing momentum within the conference. “The ball is literally in our court now,” he said. “We’ll see if we can’t make this big, beautiful bill even more beautiful.”
President Trump also weighed in on Sunday, signaling openness to revisions. Before boarding Air Force One, he told reporters he expects the Senate will make some adjustments to the bill. “I think the Senate is going to get there,” Trump said. “I think there are going to be changes. Some will be minor. Some will be fairly significant.”
As the legislative process moves forward, the Senate must now navigate internal GOP disagreements while working to preserve enough unity to send the bill to the president’s desk by Independence Day.
