by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – President Donald Trump on Sunday gave Senate Republicans the green light to make “fairly significant” changes to the sweeping budget reconciliation package narrowly passed by the House last week, potentially unraveling Speaker Mike Johnson’s fragile coalition that delivered the bill by a single-vote margin.
“I want the Senate and the senators to make the changes they want, and we’ll go back to the House and we’ll see if we can get them,” Trump told reporters in Morristown, New Jersey. “Some will be minor and some will be fairly significant.”
The president’s remarks came just days after the House passed the legislation 215-214, following months of internal wrangling among Republicans. Speaker Johnson (R-La.) had urged the Senate to make only minor adjustments, citing a “very delicate equilibrium” among GOP factions. “It’s best not to meddle with it too much,” he warned on CNN’s State of the Union.
But Trump’s endorsement of a more aggressive Senate rewrite emboldens fiscal hawks and conservative critics who say the bill falls short on deficit reduction. “This bill falls profoundly short,” said Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who voted “present” in protest. House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris (R-Md.) did the same, citing weak Medicaid reforms that won’t take effect until 2029.
In the Senate, the bill faces an uncertain path. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said there is enough GOP opposition to block the measure unless it includes deeper spending cuts. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) also raised alarms over the bill’s proposed $5 trillion debt ceiling hike. “They’re going to explode the debt,” Paul said. “Even with wimpy and anemic cuts, I’d support it — but not if it’s adding trillions more.”
The bill currently excludes key Trump proposals, including the closure of the carried-interest tax loophole and the creation of a new top tax bracket for ultra-high earners. Modifying these could reduce the deficit by billions and align more closely with Trump’s long-term policy goals.
Senate Republicans are also eyeing revisions to provisions on state and local tax (SALT) deductions, green energy tax breaks, and the permanence of certain 2017 tax cuts. Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has not yet scheduled a vote, but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned Congress must act before July 4 to raise the debt ceiling and avoid a government default.
With 53 GOP senators, Thune can afford to lose only three votes before requiring Vice President JD Vance to break a tie.
Despite growing tensions, Trump remains confident. “I think it’s going to get there,” he said. “John Thune and Mike Johnson have done a fantastic job.”
Still, Speaker Johnson cautioned that if the Senate goes too far, the amended package may collapse upon its return to the House. “We’re one team here,” he said. “Let’s not fumble it on the one-yard line.”
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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