President Donald Trump accepts that there will be changes to his "big, beautiful bill" that passed by one vote in the House last week, the Washington Examiner reported. However, House Speaker Mike Johnson believes this might endanger the bill's final fate in the Senate.
During remarks to the press in Morristown, New Jersey, on Sunday, Trump explained that he anticipates and even welcomes some changes to the final bill. "I want the Senate and the senators to make the changes they want," Trump said.
"It will go back to the House, and we’ll see if we can get them. In some cases, the changes may be something I’d agree with, to be honest," Trump continued.
"I think they are going to have changes. Some will be minor, some will be fairly significant," Trump advised. Some of the proposed changes include examining radio licensing changes, Medicaid cuts, and the potential abolition of green energy tax credits created under the administration of then-President Joe Biden.
While Trump is optimistic about the future of the bill, Johnson has said getting the bill passed was like "crossing over the Grand Canyon on a piece of dental floss." According to NBC News, the Louisiana Republican cautioned his colleagues in the upper chamber of Congress against tinkering with the bill.
“I had lunch with my Senate Republican colleagues on Tuesday, their weekly luncheon, and I encouraged them to remember that we are one team. It’s the Senate and the House Republicans together that will deliver this ball over the goal line, so to speak," Johnson said.
"And I encouraged them to make as few modifications as possible, remembering that I have a very delicate balance," he added. With a majority in the House already very slim, Johnson was able to eke out a 215-214 vote with two Republicans voting no.
Another Republican simply voted "present," while two more skipped out completely, while Democrats unilaterally voted against it. This doesn't bode well for the Senate, especially considering the opposition over the bill's proposed Medicaid cuts from Democrats.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries slammed Trump after he "promised to love and cherish Medicaid" and went forward with the cuts. "Instead, his One Big Ugly Bill represents the largest healthcare cut in our country’s history. Millions of people will lose their Medicaid coverage and hardworking American taxpayers will be forced to pay higher premiums, copays, and deductibles," he claimed.
While Trump and Johnson disagree about modifications to the bill, other Republicans are worried about the entire bill being a "debt bomb ticking," as Rep. Thomas Massie called it, according to The Hill. The Kentucky Republican was one of two GOP lawmakers who voted against the budget reconciliation bill in the House.
Some believe it will be an uphill battle in the Senate as it is currently crafted, let alone with objectionable changes and economic conditions. "I think we’re having trouble selling our long bonds already," Sen. Rick Scott said, noting that interest rates are creeping up.
The Florida Republican and at least three other GOP senators are concerned about the financial impact. The budget bill, which exceeds 1,000 pages, includes some reforms but falls short of significantly reducing the federal deficit, which could balloon to $2.5 trillion by 2035 if projections are accurate.
"I want to get a deal done; I support the president’s agenda. I support the border, I support the military, I support extending the Trump tax cuts — but we have to live in reality. But we got to live in reality here: We got a fiscal crisis," Scott explained.
This bill is complicated and isn't the panacea some would like to believe it is. However, Trump and the Republicans are serious about getting America back on track, and this is a very good start even if it ultimately fails full passage.
