Congress
Republicans tweak megabill’s SNAP, Medicaid provisions
The GOP megabill is undergoing some significant changes in the House as conservative hard-liners, moderates and blue-state Republicans all angle to shape the bill to their liking ahead of a potential floor vote this week.
Conservatives are still pushing for controversial changes to the federal share of Medicaid payments, which could lead to major benefit cuts, but House Republican leadership, moderates and the White House are all still resisting that effort, according to two Republicans granted anonymity to describe the private talks. Medicaid work requirements, though, are expected to be phased in two years, addressing the hard-liners’ push to speed up the previously planned 2029 implementation.
The draft bill, however, includes multiple waivers of those provisions that states can pursue, and those waivers are not expected to substantially change, the Republicans said.
Hard-liners also secured a rough agreement from the speaker over the weekend to speed up the phase-out of clean energy tax credits enacted under former President Joe Biden, though the parameters of how quickly that happens are still a major fight inside the GOP conference. One of the biggest battles is over whether so-called shovel-ready projects will be hit, as hard-liners are pushing for.
Some Republicans bristled at the weekend changes the speaker green-lit. Reps. Andrew Garbarino of New York and Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, who have been defending many of the tax credits, were both at Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration as GOP leaders agreed to some of hard-liners’ demands to scale them back.
Lawmakers are still negotiating over the cap on the state-and-local-tax deduction, or SALT — a major issue for a group of blue-state Republicans. House Speaker Mike Johnson will meet Monday night with moderates concerned about changes to Medicaid, SALT and federal pensions.
On a call with GOP lawmakers Monday morning, Johnson characterized the latest changes as minor and “technical,” according to two people granted anonymity to describe the private call.
Republican leaders have also changed language in the draft bill before the House Rules Committee that would have barred legal immigrants from receiving SNAP food aid, with significant carve-outs for Cuban nationals that some Florida members had requested. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and other centrist Republicans pushed leadership to allow more legal immigrants to receive SNAP. Senate Republicans also made clear the ban in the draft bill would not pass muster in their chamber.
That copy of the bill before the Rules panel — which is set to meet at 1 a.m. Wednesday to take it up — also makes other changes to controversial new cost-sharing requirements for some Medicaid beneficiaries. Those would require some beneficiaries in states that have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act to pay up to $35 per service.
The initial bill did not have explicit carve-outs for certain types of care despite a committee summary saying that the legislation would have exemptions for primary, prenatal, pediatric and emergency room care. The new version exemption applies to primary care, mental health and addiction treatment.
A GOP Energy and Commerce Committee spokesperson said the changes to the language around the exemptions were to clarify what the bill does.
The new version also omits a Government Accountability Office study on how pharmacy benefit managers, pharmacies, and drugmakers get paid in the prescription drug supply chain. It also removes clawbacks of unobligated funds for a slew of Energy Department programs, including more than $400 million for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and $8 million for the inspector general.
Senate Republicans confirmed dozens of President Donald Trump’s nominees Friday, just before they leave for a five-week congressional recess.
Senators voted 51-47 to approve officials at the Departments of Defense, Energy, State and other agencies.
They included David Cummins to head the Transportation Security Administration, Cameron Hamilton to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Hal Duncan to be OMB deputy director and Francis Brooke to be Treasury deputy secretary. Among the group were several ambassadors, including former Rep. David Brat to be ambassador to Australia.
Senate Republicans changed the chamber’s rules last year to be able to confirm lower-level nominees as a package instead of having to hold a vote on each.
After finishing the expedited procedure Friday, Senate Republicans estimate they will only have a small number of civilian nominees awaiting confirmation.
President Donald Trump said voters may seek to punish Republicans — but not him — in the November midterm elections, as GOP lawmakers sweat that affordability concerns and the war in Iran could mean Democrats flip the House and perhaps even the Senate.
“They’re angry at Republicans,” Trump said in an interview with Punchbowl News that aired Friday. “But they’re not angry at me. They’re not angry at me, but they are angry at Republicans.”
The GOP faces the prospect of heavy losses this November, as gas and grocery prices remain stubbornly high due in part to the White House’s five-month-long war in Iran. The administration’s guidance on campaign trail messaging has been “tone deaf,” House Republicans fear.
Meanwhile, the president’s approval rating has tumbled since he returned to the Oval Office last year, and even his biggest supporters have grown frustrated over his Middle East war.
And with a messy, jam-packed slate of primaries now all but in the rearview mirror, Democrats are determined to go on offense. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has 58 seats on its midterm target map that stretches into redder territory — while still facing an uphill climb to take the Senate.
Trump has a massive war chest at his disposal. His MAGA Inc. super PAC reached $400 million in June. The president told Punchbowl he plans to use it to “help Republicans,” but he stressed that he faces no pressure in this campaign cycle.
“I said to somebody, ‘Wait a minute, you don’t understand, I won,’” Trump said, referencing his 2024 presidential election victory. “I’m not campaigning.”
The biggest issue for Republicans this year? That Trump himself is not on the ballot, he said.
“If I don’t run, will those people go out and vote? And that’s the one thing I can’t tell, I’m going to ask them to,” he said.
The Senate’s plan to get out of town is coming together.
Majority Leader John Thune teed up a final vote on the Russia sanctions legislation for this morning, as well as a confirmation vote for dozens of nominees and a procedural step on a stopgap funding bill.
But there’s still a number of questions that need to be answered if Thune wants to adjourn for recess by the end of the day:
— BLANCHE’S FATE: President Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general needs to secure at least one more vote to be confirmed before the break.
It looks like it’s all up to Sen. Bill Cassidy after Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced Friday morning she is opposed. Thune indicated Thursday night Blanche’s fate was uncertain and that leaders were “still working to get the final vote.”
— SAVE AMERICA ACT: Thune said to expect a vote related to the SAVE America Act as well as an initial vote on a budget blueprint for a third party-line spending bill — which includes elements of Trump’s election security legislation.
The decision to hold the budget vote comes after two Republican senators, granted anonymity to speak candidly, told Blue Light News Thursday they believed Sen. Mike Lee or another member of the GOP’s right flank would have otherwise forced a vote on the framework.
But as we’ve previously reported, Republicans don’t believe the budget resolution has the votes within the conference to be adopted — meaning the expected initial vote today will fail to clear a simple majority threshold.
And it’s not clear Lee or like-minded senators will be satisfied and allow for lawmakers to adjourn for recess without more action on the elections measure. The senator has made similar threats over the past year but has never followed through.
— TIME AGREEMENT: GOP leaders need to strike an agreement to finish other business, including passing the stopgap government funding bill and advancing a college sports bill.
At this point, any single senator could still object to expediting the chamber’s agenda, which would derail Thune’s goal of getting members out of town by the end of the day.
“We’ve been having these conversations with Democrats trying to figure out what’s the path,” Thune said.
“We’ll see how it goes,” he added.
What else we’re watching:
— GOP EXPECTS CRYPTO BILL DELAY: The Senate will leave for the chamber’s August recess without holding a vote on a landmark cryptocurrency bill, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Thune may still file cloture on the bill, but it likely won’t come to the floor until lawmakers return to Washington next month, two of the people said.
— COLLEGE SPORTS BILL STUMBLES: Sens. Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell’s legislation to impose new guardrails on college sports is looking increasingly unlikely to hit the floor this week. Eleven senators objected to expedited consideration of the Protect College Sports Act after Thune filed cloture earlier this week, two people familiar with discussions told Blue Light News.
— OGLES OUSTED: GOP House leaders lost an incumbent — and a perennial headache — with Rep. Andy Ogles’ primary defeat in Tennessee Thursday night. His loss to former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher represents the second Trump-endorsed candidate to lose a primary this week.
Jordain Carney, Mia McCarthy, Andrew Howard and Jacob Wendler contributed to this report.
-
The Josh Fourrier Show2 years agoDOOMSDAY: Trump won, now what?
-
Politics1 year agoFormer ‘Squad’ members launching ‘Bowman and Bush’ YouTube show
-
The Dictatorship1 year agoLuigi Mangione acknowledges public support in first official statement since arrest
-
Uncategorized2 years ago
Bob Good to step down as Freedom Caucus chair this week
-
Politics1 year agoFormer Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron launches Senate bid
-
The Dictatorship1 year agoPete Hegseth’s tenure at the Pentagon goes from bad to worse
-
Politics1 year agoBlue Light News’s Editorial Director Ryan Hutchins speaks at Blue Light News’s 2025 Governors Summit
-
The Dictatorship11 months agoMike Johnson sums up the GOP’s arrogant position on military occupation with two words