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Senate GOP Faces Divided House Bill, Medicaid Concerns as Thune Takes the Helm

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Before Speaker Mike Johnson gets his first real stretch of sleep in three days, the House GOP's painstakingly drafted "big, beautiful bill" is running into resistance in the Senate. Senate Majority Leader John Thune will now begin drafting a compromise bill that can pass the Senate's divided conference, with few votes to lose. Thune's math will be almost as complicated as the House GOP's initially included $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, with some Senate Republicans vowing to cut far deeper to federal programs.

Key Takeaways:

  • Senate Majority Leader John Thune will begin drafting a compromise bill that can pass the Senate's divided conference, with few votes to lose.
  • Thune's goal is to create a bill that can pass the Senate, with the House accepting it.
  • GOP Sen. Rand Paul has vowed to oppose the bill if it raises the debt limit, a demand made by President Donald Trump.
  • Senate Republicans are divided about the Medicaid provisions, with some, like Sen. Susan Collins, open to work requirements for able-bodied individuals, while others, like Sen. Lisa Murkowski, rail against the plan's work requirements.
  • Sen. Josh Hawley wants to include a more robust child tax credit than the $2,500 included in the House bill, arguing it needs to be higher.
  • Senate hardliners, including Sen. Ron Johnson, vow to force more aggressive spending cuts, citing the House GOP's spending cuts as too miniscule.
  • Four other Republicans, including Johnson, are on board with seeking bigger spending cuts, enough to scuttle the bill if they vote against it.
  • Sen. Kevin Cramer thinks the Senate will add more spending cut opportunities and a more aggressive approach to reforms for programs like Medicaid.

Statistics:

  • The House GOP bill includes $1.5 trillion in initial spending cuts.
  • Medicaid enrolls more than 71 million people nationwide.
  • The House GOP bill proposes booting able-bodied adults off Medicaid if they don't fulfill certain work requirements by December 2026.

Sources:

  • CNN's Ted Barrett, Jenna Monnin, and Casey Riddle contributed to this report.
  • CNN's original article, featuring interviews with Senators Lisa Murkowski, Mike Rounds, John Thune, Josh Hawley, and Ron Johnson.
  • CNN's published article, "Senate weighs big spending cuts as House bill faces Medicaid objections".

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