Senate Republicans are nearing a vote to slash more than $1.6 trillion in government spending over a decade within President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful” bill — and the conference could enact more cuts in the final hours before a vote on final passage.
Trump and Senate Republicans are touting the largest cut to mandatory spending in American history within the upper chamber’s budget bill. The Senate proposal notably exceeds the initial House draft’s estimated savings by $200 billion over a ten-year period, surpassing Senate Republicans’ goal of slashing spending by $1.5 trillion over a ten-year period.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has also backed an effort to secure more cuts within the president’s sweeping tax relief and immigration legislation.
The deficit-reducing measure is sponsored by Republican Florida Sen. Rick Scott and would lower the 90% federal match rate for new Medicaid enrollees in states that expanded coverage under the Affordable Care Act. A group of deficit-concerned senators, including Scott, helped secure a vote on the amendment, which will occur during an anticipated marathon session of voting, known as a “vote-a-rama,” before senators will vote on final passage of the bill.
“We think it’s really good policy,” Thune told reporters Sunday. “We’re going to do what we can to support that effort.”
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