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If the House passes its “big beautiful bill,” Republican senators are already eyeing some significant changes.
Several GOP senators said on Tuesday they’d like to taper some of the clean energy tax credits’ phase-outs, particularly for coal capture and nuclear tax credits. “To have such a short window makes it difficult for investment to follow,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.
Some senators also said they don’t love some of the House’s language on Medicaid cuts. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she’s “inclined” to support the bill’s work requirements, but worries that “the way provider taxes are treated would be very harmful to Maine’s hospitals.”
And Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., predicted there could be some “headwinds” from incorporating Trump’s campaign promises, like cutting taxes on tips and overtime: “I’m OK with getting [those] done. I’m just not sure that we should use reconciliation to do it.”
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Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., was more perturbed than most. He said the bill’s spending cuts of roughly $1.5 trillion, combined with boosts in national security spending ,didn’t even amount to a “rounding error” in reducing the deficit, and claimed there are enough like-minded GOP senators to stop the bill in its current form.
Johnson even suggested Republicans should go back to the Senate’s original two-bill approach.
“I keep being told that ship’s already sailed,” Johnson said. “My response is — call it back to port. I think the other ship might be like the Titanic. It may be going down.”
To try and head off too much disarray, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer briefed the Senate GOP’s whip team on Tuesday about the state of play. To be sure, most Republicans believe they will focus on changing the bill, not stopping it altogether — for now, at least.