President Trump’s massive 1,116-page legislative package, proudly dubbed his “big beautiful bill,” is in serious trouble as it hits the Senate. A growing number of Republican senators are lining up against it, demanding major changes—or a total rewrite.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was quick to slam the bill Thursday. “We’ve never, ever voted to raise the debt ceiling this much,” he said. “It’ll be a historic increase. I think it’s not good for conservatives to be on the record supporting a $4 trillion or $5 trillion increase in the debt ceiling. It’s not conservative. I can’t support it.”
Paul is just one of several Senate Republicans taking a hard stand. The main complaint? The bill does almost nothing to cut spending, despite the federal deficit expected to hit $2 trillion each year for the next two years.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) didn’t hold back. “There should be a goal of this Republican Senate budget resolution to reduce the deficit, not increase it. We’re increasing it. It’s a non-starter from my standpoint,” he said. Johnson warned that he and at least three other Republican senators are firm “no” votes. “I think I’ve got at least four right now that this is not going anywhere,” he said.
The bill includes a $4 trillion debt ceiling hike and would add an estimated $3.8 trillion to the national debt, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Johnson thinks the true cost is even higher—closer to $4 trillion.
The backlash isn’t just about the debt. A group of Republican senators is also pushing back against proposed changes to Medicaid, especially reforms that could hurt rural hospitals.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said, “We’re still trying to figure out what the provider tax reforms are, but I’m very worried about our rural hospitals in Maine.”
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) criticized the cost-sharing plan. “These are working people in particular who are going to have to pay more,” he said. He also reminded his colleagues that Trump himself has told lawmakers to “leave Medicaid alone.”
Another major sticking point? The House bill would kill off clean energy incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act—moves that could stall billions of dollars in investments in GOP-led states.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said the current version needs changes to avoid punishing companies already invested in clean energy. “If millions or billions of dollars have been deployed, we’ve got to give those businesses some off ramp,” he said. He compared the impact to the fallout from Biden’s cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline.
Some senators are also fuming over a deal Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) made to raise the cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions from $10,000 to $40,000—a win for high-tax blue states, but a red flag for budget hawks.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said bluntly: “The SALT thing is going to come up. It’s going to be an issue.”
And it doesn’t stop there. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) blasted a part of the bill that would auction off government-owned wireless spectrum, saying it puts national security at risk.
“It has to be taken out or modified,” Rounds said. “That to me is of critical national importance.”
As the Senate gears up for a fight, Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) is meeting behind closed doors with skeptical Republicans to try and keep the bill alive. But he admits big changes are coming.
“Our members want to be heard on it and I assume we’ll have something to say,” Thune said.
Speaker Johnson has warned that altering the bill could blow up the fragile coalition he built to pass it in the House. But Senate Republicans don’t seem to care. The message from many is clear: this version is dead on arrival.
