4 days ago
GOP senators warn proposed Republican megabill might do more 'damage' than good
A new "megabill" is reportedly in its early stages at the House, as certain Republicans explained they are unsure about the possible new legislation
House Republicans are reportedly proposing another megabill now that Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' was signed into law — but some members of the GOP aren't thrilled about the idea.
Last month, Trump's infamous 'big, beautiful bill' was signed into law. Now, Speaker Mike Johnson and other Senate leaders are reportedly working on another megabill that both parties will pass.
A White House official reportedly told Politico that a second 'filibuster-skirting reconciliation bill' has been planned during the summer recess season. The official added that the Republican Study Committee allegedly held 'Reconciliation 2.0' group meetings during the Senate's break to think of ideas for the new megabill.
According to the outlet, most senators are wary about the bill, still tired from passing the 'big, beautiful bill " in July, and unsure what the next policy package could hold exactly.
'You have to have a reason to do it,' said Sen. Mike Rounds. 'It's not easy to do, so you have to have a purpose for doing it in the first place.'
Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo stated he'd consider nearly 200 tax proposals from the Senate that were not included in the first bill. 'Without the pressure, I don't see how you get it done,' one Republican senator told Politico about the possible second package.
'I don't think I see what the pressure is here,' they added. Three sources told the outlet that the White House has not detailed to Republicans the logistics of what it's looking for in the bill. The Irish Star also reached out to the White House for comment.
Senators Roger Wicker and Lindsey Graham, the chairs of the Armed Services and Budget committees, said they haven't heard anything from the White House regarding any fall plans or policies. Ted Cruz, the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, also said he hadn't heard anything from the White House ahead of the fall season.
The outlet detailed that Sen. Ron Johnson is leading the push for new legislation, aiming to make more budget cuts after the 'big, beautiful bill.' Earlier this summer, Johnson said. 'Leadership is telling us we'll do one or two more reconciliations in this Congress, so the clock's ticking.'
One of the three sources told the outlet that the pressure for a new package is coming from the House rather than the Trump administration, as Budget Chair Jodey Arrington reportedly told lawmakers to try to 'rework' policy cuts into the new bill from the 'big, beautiful bill'.
'My sense is that there's more enthusiasm in the House than in the Senate, and that makes sense,' said Sen. Jerry Moran. 'They can do things with 51 votes anyway; most of what we have to do requires 60. And that means that senators, if you have a desire to actually legislate, need to find ways to legislate, and reconciliation is damaging to that relationship."
The outlet added that the Senate is "skeptical" about how this new potential megabill will be successfully created and passed.
