Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s push to pass the “big, beautiful bill” is facing a critical test with Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s stance.
Murkowski’s Concerns: The Alaska senator is the target of intense lobbying by GOP leaders to secure her support. They’re focusing on offering reassurances regarding:
- Medicaid: Concerns over potential cuts or insufficient funding.
- Food Assistance: Specifically, the SNAP program and its benefits for Alaska.
Overnight Negotiations: GOP leaders worked to address Murkowski’s concerns:
- Lengthy Discussions: Thune, Finance Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso engaged in an hour-long discussion with Murkowski on the Senate floor.
- Private Huddle: Thune and Murkowski also met privately in Thune’s office, with no details shared publicly.
Parliamentarian’s Ruling: A mixed ruling from the Senate parliamentarian impacts the bill’s provisions:
- ✅ SNAP carve-outs OK: Proposed SNAP exemptions for states including Alaska are deemed compliant with the Byrd rule. This is a positive development for winning Murkowski’s vote.
- ❌ Medicaid Boost Blocked: A provision that would have increased federal Medicaid payments for Alaska and four other states was ruled non-compliant. This represents a major setback in addressing Murkowski’s concerns.
Clean Energy Credits: Murkowski is also pushing for an amendment to undo the rollback of clean-energy credits included in the Biden-era climate law. This is another potentially complicating factor.
Thune’s Optimism (Maybe?): Thune told reporters that the Senate is nearing the end of its vote-a-rama.
- “We’re close,” he stated, noting there are a few remaining amendments and a final “wraparound amendment” to consider.
Other Potential Roadblocks:
- Rand Paul’s Opposition: Thune met with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a long-standing opponent of the bill due to its debt-ceiling increase. Paul remains a “no” vote. ⛔
- Susan Collins’ Hesitation: Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has expressed ongoing concerns with the bill. Her bid to increase funding for rural hospitals failed, making her support less certain. 🔥
- Rick Scott’s Divisive Amendment: Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) is pushing an amendment to scale back federal payments under the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion. While leadership supports it, some GOP senators are uneasy. This could create further divisions. ⚠️
What Else We’re Watching:
- House Rules Committee: If the Senate passes the bill, the House is expected to bring it to the Rules Committee at noon on Tuesday. However, this timeline could shift due to delays in the Senate. ⌛
- Fiscal 2026 Funding Battle: Senate appropriators plan to begin marking up fiscal 2026 government funding bills next week. House Appropriations is scheduled to vote July 10 on the Commerce, Justice, Science bill and the Energy and Water Development bill. House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) aims to complete all 12 funding bills by the end of July. 🗓️
