As the Senate prepared to hold amendment votes on its budget resolution tonight—referred to as “vote-a-rama”—Senate Majority Leader Thune insisted that their two-bill reconciliation package is a back-up version in case the House can’t rally the votes for its own budget proposal. Despite President Trump’s endorsement of the House’s one-bill reconciliation approach, the House’s resolution appears to be in jeopardy as three House Republicans—Reps. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Don Bacon (R-NE), and David Valadao (R-CA)—say they are not on board with the chamber’s budget resolution because of its cuts to Medicaid. House Republicans from the Congressional Hispanic Conference also sent a letter to leadership expressing concerns with the $1.5 trillion in spending cuts required under the House version of the FY 2025 budget resolution that is to be considered next week. Specific concerns enumerated in the letter were provisions significantly reducing funding for Medicaid, Pell Grants and other Education Department assistance programs, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. Senate Republicans are also divided over potential cuts to Medicaid, as analysts note that reaching the House targets to offset the expiring tax cuts without touching Medicaid, Medicare, or Social Security would be impossible through the reconciliation process.
