Lisa Murkowski, a Republican senator from Alaska, cast the deciding vote that allowed President Donald Trump’s tax-and-spending bill to pass the Senate. Her “yes” made her the 50th Republican to support the bill. That gave Vice President JD Vance the chance to break the tie with a 51–50 vote.
During the overnight session, Senate Minority Whip John Thune worked for hours to secure Murkowski’s support. She had raised concerns about how the bill might affect Alaska’s most vulnerable people. Both publicly and privately, Murkowski pushed for changes to protect her state, especially in Medicaid funding.
Three Republicans, Susan Collins, Thom Tillis, and Rand Paul, joined all Democrats in opposing the bill. Despite that, Murkowski eventually voted in favor. “I advocated for my state’s interests, and I will make no excuses for doing that,” she told reporters. “Do I like this bill? No. But I tried to take care of Alaska’s interests.”
Lisa Murkowski Held Firm for Alaska
The decision did not come easily for Lisa Murkowski. The Senate parliamentarian rejected two efforts to boost Medicaid payments for Alaska and Hawaii, stating that they violated reconciliation rules. In addition, a third push to raise Alaska’s Medicaid funding failed early Tuesday, which added even more pressure to the talks.
Still, Murkowski said she felt responsible for standing up for her state. “I held my head up and made sure that the people of Alaska are not forgotten in this,” she told reporters. “I think there is more that needs to be done, and I’m not done. I am going to take a nap, though.”
She also called on congressional leaders to revise the bill through a conference committee instead of approving the Senate version in the House. Nevertheless, House lawmakers have already begun preparing for a floor vote.
If the House approves the bill, it will then head to President Trump for his signature. Researchers have warned that the legislation may severely affect healthcare, possibly causing thousands to lose coverage.