Senate Republicans Search for Support Trump's Big Bill in Overnight Session
Senate Majority Leader John Thune worked to reach a compromise between Republicans concerned about the bill's potential impact on Medicaid and those desiring even deeper cuts to control the growing deficit. House Speaker Mike Johnson cautioned that the Senate package could encounter obstacles in the House, where skeptical lawmakers were being recalled to Washington before Trump's July Fourth deadline.
This is a critical juncture for the Republicans, who hold control of Congress and are striving to finalize their work. The extensive 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' is their shared priority with the president. Trump, in a midnight social media post, urged support for the bill, calling it 'perhaps the greatest and most important of its kind.' Vice President JD Vance echoed this sentiment on social media, simply imploring senators to 'Pass the bill.'
Republican leaders have minimal leeway with their narrow majorities. Thune can afford to lose no more than three Republican senators, with two already indicating opposition: Senator Thom Tillis, worried about potential loss of access to Medicaid, and Senator Rand Paul, opposing raising the debt limit. Tillis unexpectedly announced he would not seek reelection after Trump threatened to campaign against him. Attention shifted to Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, who have also expressed concerns about healthcare cuts, as well as a group of conservative GOP senators advocating for deeper reductions. On social media, Elon Musk criticized Republicans for including a provision to raise the debt limit by $5 trillion.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer stated his party was working to highlight the bill's flaws, while a new analysis from the Congressional Budget Office projected 11.8 million more uninsured Americans by 2034 if the bill passes. The CBO also estimated the package would increase the deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion over a decade.
Few Republicans seem fully content with the final package. Tillis called it a betrayal of the president's promises on healthcare. Collins proposed increasing the rural hospital fund, but her amendment failed. Murkowski sought provisions to protect her state from healthcare and food stamp cuts. Meanwhile, conservative Senate Republicans, including Rick Scott, Mike Lee, Ron Johnson, and Cynthia Lummis, met with Thune to discuss steeper healthcare cuts. The Senate spent over 18 hours on amendments, with negotiations continuing on and off the floor.
The Senate bill includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, making Trump's 2017 rates permanent and adding new ones he campaigned on. The package would also roll back green energy tax credits and impose $1.2 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and food stamps by implementing work requirements and stricter eligibility criteria. It would also allocate $350 billion for border and national security, partially funded by fees on immigrants.
Democrats, unable to prevent the bill's likely passage, used procedural tactics to delay the process, including forcing a full reading of the text. Senator Patty Murray criticized the Republicans' accounting methods, arguing that the projected cost savings were unrealistic.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Asharq Al-Awsat
30 minutes ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Lululemon's Lawsuit Against Costco Highlights Rise of Fashion 'Dupes'
Fashion 'dupes,' or less expensive versions of high-end clothing and other accessories, are just about everywhere these days. They're also drawing some businesses into legal battles. In the latest example, Lululemon slapped a lawsuit against Costco on Friday, accusing the wholesale club operator of selling lower-priced duplicates of some of its popular athleisure apparel. Across the retail industry, it's far from a new phenomenon. But social media is pushing the culture of online dupe shopping to new heights as influencers direct their followers to where they can buy the knockoffs. Want a taste of Hermès' $1,000 fuzzy slippers? Target has a version for $15. Looking for a $2,800 price Bottega Veneta hobo bag? There's a version for $99 on online clothing and accessories upstart Quince, which has become a go-to for fashionistas. It's not even the first time Lululemon has encountered what it says are knockoffs of its clothing, which often carry steep price tags of over $100 each for leggings and sporty zip-ups. Without specifying additional sellers beyond Costco in Friday's complaint, Lululemon noted that a handful companies have 'replicated or copied' its apparel to sell cheaper offerings — including those popularized online through hashtags like 'LululemonDupes' on TikTok and other social media platforms. Dupes aren't new For years, companies have rolled out a range of cheaper option for consumers to buy instead of pricey name-brands or designer labels — often through retailers' house or generic brands. Unlike more direct copies of the product with an unauthorized trademark or logo of a patented brand, 'pure' dupes that just resemble certain features are generally legitimate. They can even spark awareness of the original items. But the rising frenzy for dupes, particularly in the fashion space, signals that many shoppers want a taste of luxury, but no longer want to pay for (or care about) getting the real thing. Late last year, for example, discount chain Walmart created a buzz when it started selling a leather bag online that resembled Hermès' coveted Birkin bag. The $78 item — sold by Kamugo, which doesn't appear to have its own website — was a fraction of the price of the original, which goes from $9,000 to hundreds of thousands of dollars on resale and auction sites. Influencers labeled the leather bag a 'wirkin.' Other suppliers including BESTSPR, YMTQ and Judy were listed on Walmart's site selling similar totes. While popular among shoppers, these kind of look-alikes can frustrate the targeted companies. Following the viral fame of the 'wirkin,' Hermès Executive Chairman Axel Dumas shared his annoyance, for example. 'Making a copy like this is quite detestable,' Dumas said in a corporate earnings call in February. Still, he acknowledged that it was 'quite touching' to see so many consumers want a bag with the Birkin style — and that 'difference in quality' was still evident, noting that nobody bought the dupe thinking it was from Hermès. When dupes venture into uncertain legal territory Alexandra Roberts, a professor of law and media at Northeastern University, said that 'the term 'dupe' itself doesn't tell us much about legality," noting the word has also been used to describe more traditional counterfeits. But overall, dupes can move into shaky legal territory, including copyright and trademark infringement, particularly if a dupe marketer makes false claims about the duplicate or the original. 'With fashion, in particular, we're going to get into some thorny questions," Roberts said. That includes what intellectual property rights exist and how enforceable they are, she explained, and whether there is actual infringement or if a product is just 'positioning itself as a less expensive alternative.' Often such disputes boil down trademark questions around consumer confusion or patented product designs. Several businesses have already put this to the test, but not always successfully. In December, for example, Benefit lost a lawsuit in California over E.l.f.'s $6 Lash 'N Roll mascara, which is similar to Benefit's $29 Roller Lash mascara. The judge's decision was 'a resounding win for us,' CEO Tarang Amin previously told The Associated Press. 'The basic reality is we always put our E.l.f. twist on it,' he said. 'It's an E.l.f. product that's a much better value.' Lululemon sues Costco In its lawsuit, Lululemon argued that Costco had 'unlawfully traded' on Lululemon's reputation and that it was suing as part of wider intellectual property enforcement 'directed to retailers who have chosen to copy rather than compete.' Lululemon accuses Costco of making duplicates of several products, including its popular Scuba hoodies, Define jackets and ABC pants. Lululemon says one of the duplicates that Costco sells is the Hi-Tec Men's Scuba Full Zip, with the lawsuit showing a screenshot image of Costco's website showing the item priced at $19.97. Roberts said she was 'a little skeptical' of some of Lululemon's claims, noting that the design patents in particular could be hard to challenge. And she pointed to Lululemon's asserting common law trade dress over a 'triangle kind of shape in the crotch region' of the ABC pants. 'My first reaction as a trademark expert is that looks pretty functional,' she said, and functional matter is not protected under trademark law. 'I was just cracking up because that particular claim seemed really far-fetched to me. Those pants look really basic." Still, Roberts noted that Lululemon had some plausible claims. Lululemon alleges that Costco is known to use manufacturers of popular branded products for its private label Kirkland brand, although the companies involved don't clearly reveal that information to customers. Due to this, Lululemon claims some shoppers may believe that Kirkland-branded products are made by the authentic supplier of the 'original' products. Roberts said this could rule in Lululemon's favor as something that 'weighs toward consumer confusion.' Still, she noted that most of the products Lululemon mentioned in its complaint weren't sold under the Kirkland brand, which could undermine the argument. A message was left Tuesday seeking comment from Costco on the lawsuit. Lululemon found itself in a similar dispute with Peloton in 2021, when it sued the exercise bike company over alleged 'copycat products' in its then-new clothing lines. Two years later, the companies announced a five-year partnership that included Lululemon becoming the primary athletic apparel partner to Peloton.
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Paramount settles lawsuit with Trump over 60 Minutes interview
CBS parent company Paramount settled a lawsuit on Wednesday filed by US President Donald Trump over an interview that aired on its '60 Minutes' news program in October, LA Times reported. Paramount Global has agreed to pay President Trump $16 million to end his lawsuit, the report said, citing a statement from Paramount.
Al Arabiya
4 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Deal or no deal: What happens with Trump's July tariff deadline?
A week before US President Donald Trump reimposes steep tariffs on dozens of economies, including the EU and Japan, many are still scrambling to reach a deal that would protect them from the worst. The tariffs taking effect July 9 are part of a package Trump imposed in April citing a lack of 'reciprocity' in trading ties. He slapped a 10 percent levy on most partners, with higher customized rates to kick in later in countries the United States has major trade deficits with. But these were halted until July to allow room for negotiations. Analysts expect countries will encounter one of three outcomes: they could reach a framework for an agreement; receive an extended pause on higher tariffs; or see levies surge. 'There will be a group of deals that we will land before July 9,' said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last Friday on CNBC. Policymakers have not named countries in this group, although Bessent maintains that Washington has been focused on striking deals with about 18 key partners. 'Vietnam, India and Taiwan remain promising candidates for a deal,' Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) Vice President Wendy Cutler told AFP. Without a deal, Vietnam's 'reciprocal tariff' rises from the baseline of 10 percent to 46 percent, India's to 26 percent, and Taiwan's to 32 percent. Josh Lipsky, international economics chair at the Atlantic Council, cited Indian negotiators' extension of their US trip recently in noting that it 'seems like a frontrunner.' 'Japan was in that category, but things have set back a little,' Lipsky said, referring to Trump's criticism Monday over what the president called Japan's reluctance to accept US rice exports. The deals, however, will unlikely be full-fledged trade pacts, analysts said, citing complexities in negotiating such agreements. Since April, Washington has only announced a pact with Britain and a deal to temporarily lower tit-for-tat duties with China. Bessent has also said that countries 'negotiating in good faith' can have their tariffs remain at the 10 percent baseline. But extensions of the pause on higher rates would depend on Trump, he added. 'With a new government, (South) Korea looks well positioned to secure an extension,' Cutler of ASPI said. Lipsky expects many countries to fall into this bucket, receiving an extended halt on higher tariffs that could last until Labor Day, which falls on September 1. Bessent earlier said that Washington could wrap up its agenda for trade deals by Labor Day, a signal that more agreements could be concluded but with talks likely to extend past July. For countries that the United States finds 'recalcitrant,' however, tariffs could spring back to the higher levels Trump previously announced, Bessent has warned. These range from 11 percent to 50 percent. Cutler warned that 'Japan's refusal to open its rice market, coupled with the US resistance to lowering automotive tariffs, may lead to the reimposition of Japan's 24 percent reciprocal tariff.' Trump himself said Tuesday that a trade deal was unlikely with Japan and the country could pay a tariff of '30 percent, 35 percent, or whatever the number is that we determine.' Lipsky believes the European Union is at risk of having tariffs snap back to steeper levels too—to the 20 percent unveiled in April or the 50 percent Trump more recently threatened. An area of tension could be Europe's approach to digital regulation. Trump recently said he would terminate trade talks with Canada—which is not impacted by the July 9 deadline—in retaliation for the country's digital services tax, which Ottawa eventually said it would rescind. This week, EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic is in Washington in a push to seal a trade deal, with the EU Commission having received early drafts of proposals that officials are working on.
