Senate Medicaid Cuts Dealt Setback in Trump Megabill
WASHINGTON—Several of Republicans' largest proposed spending cuts can't be done in the fast-track budget process they are using to advance their megabill, the Senate parliamentarian ruled, dealing a significant blow to the GOP's hopes of passing their plans quickly.
The ruling affects several of the largest and most controversial cuts in President Trump's 'one, big, beautiful bill,' and Republicans will likely be forced to drop or rewrite them. The changes could amount to hundreds of billions of dollars, making it harder for Republicans to hit their budget targets.
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23 minutes ago
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Senate Banking Republicans propose scaled-back CFPB cut in new megabill plan
Senate Republicans are facing major new issues with their domestic policy megabill after the chamber's parliamentarian advised senators that several provisions they are counting on to reap hundreds of billions of dollars in budget savings won't be able to pass along party lines. Those include major pieces of Medicaid policy, including a politically explosive plan to hold down Medicaid costs by cracking down on a state provider tax — a provision that is expected to have a nine-figure impact on the bill. Republicans now will have to try to rewrite major sections of their Finance bill or potentially leave out key policies. The decisions were detailed in a Thursday morning memo from Democrats on the Senate Budget Committee. Other provisions now at risk include several GOP proposals to exclude undocumented residents from Medicaid, including by withholding federal funds from states that make them eligible for benefits. The rulings come at a critical time for Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other GOP leaders, who are already facing a revolt inside their conference from members wary of the practical and political impacts of the Medicaid changes. Some GOP members have proposed reverting to a less drastic House plan, which would merely freeze the existing provider taxes, though it's unclear if that provision could also pass muster under Senate rules. Even though the ruling is a setback for Republicans — and to their timeline for taking an initial vote on Friday — they were aware based on private conversations with parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough that parts of their initial plan were at risk of running aground of the chamber's rules. Republicans view the hurdle right now as 'technical' and are optimistic they will be able to get modified language into the bill. The revised language will still have to be blessed by the parliamentarian as complying with the chamber's rules. 'We knew that it was going to be an interesting conversation and we didn't know for sure how she was going to come down on it. But there are things that we can do, there are other ways of getting to that same outcome,' Thune said on Thursday morning, adding that Republicans might not ultimately get 'everything that we want' on the provider tax but will hopefully be able to salvage 'most of the reforms.' Some Republicans are calling for Senate leadership to overrule MacDonough: 'The Senate Parliamentarian is not elected. She is not accountable to the American people,' Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) posted on X. 'Yet she holds veto power over legislation supported by millions of voters.' Senate GOP leadership has repeatedly shot down that idea, and Thune reiterated Thursday morning that they wouldn't overrule the MacDonough. Democrats took a victory lap after the ruling, noting the rulings blew a $250 billion hole in the megabill's savings. 'Democrats fought and won, striking healthcare cuts from this bill that would hurt Americans walking on an economic tightrope,' said Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) in a statement. The parliamentarian also ruled early Thursday against a Republican proposal to prohibit plans from getting certain Obamacare payments if they cover abortion. There are 12 states that currently require such coverage and insurers have worried they don't have enough time to implement the payment change before the start of open enrollment. There remain some outstanding policies, such as Republicans' effort to defund Planned Parenthood and removal of a nursing home staffing rule. Republicans still aren't closing the door to taking a first vote on Friday. One person granted anonymity to discuss the schedule insisted that the parliamentarian's decision is 'not as fatal as Dems are portraying it to be' and that 'Friday still not off the table.'
Politico
23 minutes ago
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Kelly dishes on Moran
Senate Republicans are facing major new issues with their domestic policy megabill after the chamber's parliamentarian advised senators that several provisions they are counting on to reap hundreds of billions of dollars in budget savings won't be able to pass along party lines. Those include major pieces of Medicaid policy, including a politically explosive plan to hold down Medicaid costs by cracking down on a state provider tax — a provision that is expected to have a nine-figure impact on the bill. Republicans now will have to try to rewrite major sections of their Finance bill or potentially leave out key policies. The decisions were detailed in a Thursday morning memo from Democrats on the Senate Budget Committee. Other provisions now at risk include several GOP proposals to exclude undocumented residents from Medicaid, including by withholding federal funds from states that make them eligible for benefits. The rulings come at a critical time for Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other GOP leaders, who are already facing a revolt inside their conference from members wary of the practical and political impacts of the Medicaid changes. Some GOP members have proposed reverting to a less drastic House plan, which would merely freeze the existing provider taxes, though it's unclear if that provision could also pass muster under Senate rules. Even though the ruling is a setback for Republicans — and to their timeline for taking an initial vote on Friday — they were aware based on private conversations with parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough that parts of their initial plan were at risk of running aground of the chamber's rules. Republicans view the hurdle right now as 'technical' and are optimistic they will be able to get modified language into the bill. The revised language will still have to be blessed by the parliamentarian as complying with the chamber's rules. 'We knew that it was going to be an interesting conversation and we didn't know for sure how she was going to come down on it. But there are things that we can do, there are other ways of getting to that same outcome,' Thune said on Thursday morning, adding that Republicans might not ultimately get 'everything that we want' on the provider tax but will hopefully be able to salvage 'most of the reforms.' Some Republicans are calling for Senate leadership to overrule MacDonough: 'The Senate Parliamentarian is not elected. She is not accountable to the American people,' Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) posted on X. 'Yet she holds veto power over legislation supported by millions of voters.' Senate GOP leadership has repeatedly shot down that idea, and Thune reiterated Thursday morning that they wouldn't overrule the MacDonough. Democrats took a victory lap after the ruling, noting the rulings blew a $250 billion hole in the megabill's savings. 'Democrats fought and won, striking healthcare cuts from this bill that would hurt Americans walking on an economic tightrope,' said Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) in a statement. The parliamentarian also ruled early Thursday against a Republican proposal to prohibit plans from getting certain Obamacare payments if they cover abortion. There are 12 states that currently require such coverage and insurers have worried they don't have enough time to implement the payment change before the start of open enrollment. There remain some outstanding policies, such as Republicans' effort to defund Planned Parenthood and removal of a nursing home staffing rule. Republicans still aren't closing the door to taking a first vote on Friday. One person granted anonymity to discuss the schedule insisted that the parliamentarian's decision is 'not as fatal as Dems are portraying it to be' and that 'Friday still not off the table.'
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LGBTQ-Friendly Policies Bolster Corporate Innovation, New Study Shows
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 7: Participants from Delta Airlines walk in the WorldPride Parade on June 7, ... More 2025 in Washington, DC. This year marks the 50th Anniversary of Pride celebrations in Washington, DC and is host to WorldPride 2025. (Photo by) Companies that have policies designed to ensure their workplaces are LGBTQ-friendly are more likely to be innovative that those who don't according to a new study that draws on almost a decade and a half of data. The research, done by academics at Finland's Aalto University and the University of Vaasa, is based on data from the Corporate Equality Index—a benchmarking tool on corporate policies, practices, and benefits pertinent to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer employees—as well as figures from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and other public sources. It established that for every standard deviation increase in a company's CEI, the number of patents increased by 20 percent. The academics also found that LGBTQ-friendly firms demonstrated an almost 25 percent increase in the number of patent citations, which is broadly considered an indication of how other companies value the innovativeness of a particular patent. Other studies in the past have determined a link between profitability and workplace diversity more generally. This, however, is the first to specifically examine sexuality and gender-inclusivity as it relates to innovation. 'Our results demonstrate that firms with progressive LGBTQ policies produce more patents, have more patent citations, and have higher innovation quality as measured by patent originality, generality, and internationality,' commented Jukka Sihvonen, from Aalto University School of Business. 'Innovation is the fuel that drives both growth and profitability. Companies need innovation,' he added. 'The magnitudes of impact linked to LGBTQ-friendliness are big — and that means that the economic significance is too.' These latest findings are particularly timely considering the widespread rollback of corporate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in response to the Trump administration's executive orders. In January, almost immediately after taking office, President Donald Trump issued a slew of orders targeting DEI programs both in the public and private sector. In response, many companies across the U.S. and beyond, announced that they were rolling back such initiatives or pausing programs. References to diversity, equity and inclusion in Fortune 100 company reports have also dropped. According to an analysis by Gravity Research, they declined by 72% between 2024 and 2025. But surveys of corporate leaders show that a sizable contingent of managers still see the value of DEI initiatives. One example: A national survey—conducted by Catalyst, a consultancy focused on creating inclusive workspaces, in conjunction with the NYU School of Law's Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging—recently found that 83% of C-suite leaders and 88% of legal leaders said that they believe maintaining or expanding DEI is essential to mitigating legal risk. That survey also showed that 77% of the executives believe DEI initiatives are positively correlated with improved financial performance, and 81% think that a focus on DEI was likely to bolster customer loyalty. The new research out of Finland used analytical methods to control for bias, and found that the link between inclusivity and innovation existed regardless of the political context. 'The results get marginally stronger when most conservative states are excluded, but the difference is really minor, and the findings remain largely the same when the most liberal states are left out,' explained Sami Vähämaa from the University of Vaasa, who also led the research. And Veda Fatmy, a co-author from the University of Vaasa, noted that although the research drew on data collected between 2003 and 2017, extrapolating beyond that time frame suggests that the positive trend might actually be getting stronger over time.
