Senate Republicans Face Uphill Battle to Pass Trump’s Budget Bill

US Senate Republicans are encountering significant challenges in their effort to push through President Trump’s expansive budget bill, as internal divisions and a slim majority threaten to derail the legislation. With four Republican senators publicly opposing the nearly 1,000-page bill, the party is racing to secure the necessary votes to advance the measure.

The bill, a cornerstone of Trump’s second-term agenda, aims to extend the president’s first-term tax cuts while offsetting the revenue loss through spending reductions in programs such as healthcare for low-income Americans and food subsidies. However, disagreements within the GOP over where to make these cuts have stalled progress.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has been at the forefront of the negotiations, pacing the Senate floor and engaging in discussions with dissenting Republicans. Despite initial confidence in securing the required votes, the process has dragged on, with final votes initially scheduled for 11:00 EST (16:00 BST) now delayed.

Key Republican holdouts include Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Rand Paul of Kentucky. With only three defections allowed, Vice-President JD Vance arrived at the Capitol early Tuesday to potentially cast a tie-breaking vote, a role he has already played in advancing one amendment.

The bill’s passage is further complicated by its next step: returning to the House of Representatives, where Republicans hold a narrow majority. The House previously passed its version of the budget bill by a single vote, but Senate amendments mean the legislation must undergo another round of scrutiny in the lower chamber.

President Trump, who initially demanded the bill be finalized by July 4th, has since acknowledged the difficulty of meeting that 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,” he told reporters.

Democrats in both chambers have united in opposition to the bill, attempting to obstruct its progress. As the Senate wraps up its amendment process, all eyes remain on Republican leadership to see if they can rally enough support to pass this critical piece of legislation.