Dozens of House Republicans are scrambling behind the scenes to head off the deep Medicaid cuts in the Senate version of the party-line megabill that could pass as soon as tonight.

Group texts are blowing up and frantic phone calls are being exchanged among GOP lawmakers alarmed about the Senate Medicaid provisions, according to six House Republicans granted anonymity to describe the conversations. Even some conservatives in states that will be hit hard by the Senate’s crackdown on state-directed payments and medical provider taxes don’t want to vote on the Senate’s Medicaid text.

That’s to say nothing of an effort pushed by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) to scale back federal payments under the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion — a well-established red line for many House members.

Speaker Mike Johnson is expected to hold a call with House Republicans Monday afternoon, according to two other people granted anonymity to discuss yet-to-be-announced plans. Senate and House leadership staffers huddled Monday to discuss the outstanding concerns.

Senior House Republicans are warning they still might need to hammer out differences between the two chambers if the Senate doesn’t strike a final compromise on the language and add it in a final amendment before sending the bill to the House. That would mean missing President Donald Trump’s arbitrary July 4 deadline for signing the megabill.

It’s still unclear whether the Senate will relent and allow a compromise on Medicaid or other policy issues in a final amendment. That chamber is dealing with its own politics, including the determination of many GOP senators to swell the size of the tax-cut package, prompting the need for sharper Medicaid cuts.

Thune has been noncommittal in closed-door meetings with GOP senators about whether there will be a final “wraparound” that would incorporate House Republicans’ concerns. Senate leaders are betting the House will accept whatever the Senate sends them.

“Right now, there isn’t a need for it,” said one GOP senator granted anonymity to discuss the situation.

While most Senate Democrats are looking for pieces to chip away from the GOP megabill in the ongoing vote-a-rama, Sen. John Fetterman just wants the process over with already.

“Oh my God, I just want to go home,” the Pennsylvania Democrat told reporters on Monday. “I’ve already missed our entire trip to the beach… I’m going to vote no. There’s no drama.”

GOP leaders expect rapid-fire amendments to roll in until at least late Monday evening. With a swath of unresolved issues — from potential cuts to the Medicaid provider tax to the phasing out of clean-energy credits — the process could easily extend into the night.

But Fetterman doesn’t think there will be surprises out of tonight’s votes.

“The only interesting votes are going to be on the margin, whether that’s [Susan] Collins or [Ron] Johnson and those,” he said. “All the Democrats, we all know how that’s going to go. I don’t think it’s really helpful to put people here till some ungodly hour.”

Fetterman later posted on X that he’s “here to vote on these amendments and keep the ball rolling” and reiterated his stance against cutting Medicaid and SNAP.

Fetterman has increasingly been a thorn in Democrats’ side as they ramp up opposition to the Trump administration and its policies. Fetterman has been adamant, for example, about not supporting a war powers resolution introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) that would limit the president’s ability to take military action on Iran without congressional approval. Trump on Friday called Fetterman “the most sensible” Democratic senator and suggested he should support the megabill.

Fetterman’s impatience with the vote-a-rama is just his latest break with his own party.

“This bill is the biggest transfer of wealth from the working class to the 1% and Fetterman’s message to voters is that he just wants to go home,” Joe Calvello, Fetterman’s former communications director postedon X.

South Dakota GOP Rep. Dusty Johnson on Monday officially launched his campaign for governor.

Johnson, the chair of the House GOP’s Main Street Caucus, who has served in Congress since 2019, touted Republican wins in Washington since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in his announcement.

“We rolled up our sleeves and got things moving in the right direction, cutting trillions in wasteful spending, standing with President Trump to secure our border and finally getting tough on China,” he said in a video announcement Monday.

Blue Light News reported on Johnson’s plans to enter the race last week. Johnson won his most recent statewide race against Democrat Sheryl Johnson with 72 percent of the vote.

“It’s gonna take hard work,” he said. “A real plan, South Dakota common sense and solid conservative leadership.”

Kristi Noem, who served as South Dakota governor for nearly two terms after her election in 2018, left the state when Trump tapped her to serve as Director of Homeland Security after his reelection. Larry Rhoden, who ascended to the post following her resignation in January, hasn’t yet committed to running for reelection.