US Senators have been negotiating for over 24 hours amendments to a tax and spending mega-bill that seems to have stalled short of having enough votes to pass.
Four Republicans Withhold Support, GOP Margin Slim
Four Republicans in the Senate said they cannot vote for the almost 1,000 page legislation as it currently reads, but with a narrow margin of control the party must only convert one senator.
Once it is approved in the Senate, the bill will have to go back to the House of Representatives where another brutal fight awaits since Republicans hold the chamber by a narrow margin.
Trump Softens July 4 Deadline for Budget Bill
Although President Donald Trump earlier informed Congress he needed the legislation on his desk by 4 July, on Tuesday he admitted that it would be “very hard” to achieve that timeline.
By mid-Tuesday morning, Senate Majority Leader John Thune was strolling up and down the center aisle of the Senate floor, by himself, arms folded, chewing gum.
The final success or failure of the bill depends to a great extent on him. Republican leadership was growing more confident of having the votes to get it passed, and set final votes to occur before 11:00 ET (16:00 BST).
GOP Faces Internal Resistance from Key Senators
Republicans seem to have, at least for the time being, lost the votes of four Republicans: Susan Collins of Maine, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky.
Since they can only have three defectors, Vice-President JD Vance had to come to Capitol Hill shortly after 6:00 EST (11:00 GMT) to break tie votes.
He assisted in shoving one amendment across a close margin, and is likely to have a decisive role to play in the fate of the bill.
Leadership Holds Off on Final Vote Amid Intense Negotiations
The process of amendments is concluding and Republican Senate leadership are negotiating and talking with their opponents to obtain the required number of votes. Leadership is not going to place the bill on a final vote until they have the required numbers. It’s not known when that will occur.
The bill crucial to Trump’s second-term agenda would continue large tax reductions the president enacted in his first term.
To compensate for that loss of revenue, Republicans are looking to reduce spending on a range of programs, including medical care for poorer Americans and food subsidies. But Republicans in the Senate don’t agree on where those reductions should be made.
Trump Hints at Flexibility on Signing Timeline
Donald Trump earlier asked the Republican-held Congress to forward to him the final version of the bill to sign into law by Friday.
But after more than 24 hours of argumentation on amendments to the bill, a vote-a-rama that highlights unmistakable differences over the bill, he made a softer statement on the 4 July deadline.
“I’d love to do July 4th but I think it’s very hard to do July 4th…. I would say maybe July 4th or somewhere around there,” Trump said as he was leaving the White House.
House Vote Likely to Reignite Intra-Party Tensions
The House of Representatives passed their own version of a budget bill in May by the barest of margins, one vote. When the bill came before the Senate, Republicans introduced many amendments to it.
Thus when the bill eventually passes the Senate, it will have to be sent back to the House of Representatives so it can pass for the second time, where Republicans anticipate another battle.
Democrats in both the chambers are opposed to the bill and in the Senate have tried to place some hurdles in its way.
