US President Donald Trump ’s prized legislative package, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act , may have passed the House after months of internal party wrangling, but the path forward in the Senate remains anything but certain.
Senator Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, has warned that the bill does not have enough support in its current form to clear the upper chamber, reports the New York Post.
Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, Johnson said: “We have enough to stop the process until the president gets serious about the spending reduction and reducing the deficit.”
Trump's bill is a massive collection of conservative policy items and includes an extension of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, increased defence spending, stricter border measures, and energy reforms. It also features a $4 trillion hike to the federal debt ceiling.
According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the legislation could add as much as $3.1 trillion to the deficit over the next decade.
“That’s a red line for me,” Johnson said, pointing to what he and others see as unsustainable spending.
The bill narrowly passed with a 215–214 vote on Thursday. Despite holding a slim majority, the party has faced months of internal disagreement.
But now that the bill is headed to the Senate, Trump’s sweeping proposal is expected to hit fresh obstacles. Republicans hold a 53–47 majority in the chamber, but not all senators are on board.
Republicans unsure about the bill
Senator Rand Paul , another vocal critic of the legislation, appeared on Fox News Sunday, blasting the bill’s impact on the nation’s finances. “The idea that we’re going to explode deficits and the projections are now looking at over $3 trillion in deficits over the next 10 years, I think is just, you know, not a serious proposal,” he said. “If they strip out the debt ceiling, I’ll consider even with the imperfections voting for the rest of the bill. But I can’t vote to raise the debt ceiling.”
Some Republican senators, including moderates like Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, have signalled concerns over proposed Medicaid reforms in the bill. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri also flagged the healthcare changes as a potential dealbreaker earlier.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has acknowledged the uphill climb. “The Senate will have its imprint on it,” he said, reports the New York Post. He noted that Senate committees are working to identify “Byrd problems,” issues that could derail the bill under the reconciliation process that allows legislation to pass with a simple majority rather than a filibuster-proof 60 votes.
“I have a very delicate balance here, a very delicate equilibrium that we have reached over a long period of time, and it’s best not to meddle with it too much,” Speaker Johnson warned about potential Senate changes.
Trump says he wants to sign the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law by July 4.
Senator Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, has warned that the bill does not have enough support in its current form to clear the upper chamber, reports the New York Post.
Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, Johnson said: “We have enough to stop the process until the president gets serious about the spending reduction and reducing the deficit.”
Trump's bill is a massive collection of conservative policy items and includes an extension of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, increased defence spending, stricter border measures, and energy reforms. It also features a $4 trillion hike to the federal debt ceiling.
According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the legislation could add as much as $3.1 trillion to the deficit over the next decade.
“That’s a red line for me,” Johnson said, pointing to what he and others see as unsustainable spending.
The bill narrowly passed with a 215–214 vote on Thursday. Despite holding a slim majority, the party has faced months of internal disagreement.
But now that the bill is headed to the Senate, Trump’s sweeping proposal is expected to hit fresh obstacles. Republicans hold a 53–47 majority in the chamber, but not all senators are on board.
Republicans unsure about the bill
Senator Rand Paul , another vocal critic of the legislation, appeared on Fox News Sunday, blasting the bill’s impact on the nation’s finances. “The idea that we’re going to explode deficits and the projections are now looking at over $3 trillion in deficits over the next 10 years, I think is just, you know, not a serious proposal,” he said. “If they strip out the debt ceiling, I’ll consider even with the imperfections voting for the rest of the bill. But I can’t vote to raise the debt ceiling.”
Some Republican senators, including moderates like Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, have signalled concerns over proposed Medicaid reforms in the bill. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri also flagged the healthcare changes as a potential dealbreaker earlier.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has acknowledged the uphill climb. “The Senate will have its imprint on it,” he said, reports the New York Post. He noted that Senate committees are working to identify “Byrd problems,” issues that could derail the bill under the reconciliation process that allows legislation to pass with a simple majority rather than a filibuster-proof 60 votes.
“I have a very delicate balance here, a very delicate equilibrium that we have reached over a long period of time, and it’s best not to meddle with it too much,” Speaker Johnson warned about potential Senate changes.
Trump says he wants to sign the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law by July 4.
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