John Thune, the Senate Majority Leader, is moving quickly to advance President Trump’s comprehensive legislative agenda through Congress. He has outlined a detailed timeline for the coming weeks, aiming to pass the party-line megabill by the July 4 deadline. Thune is coordinating closely with Trump, who has been actively engaged in the process. The senator emphasized the urgency of the task, noting that various Senate committees will start releasing revised versions of the legislation by the end of next week.
Thune stressed the importance of securing support from key senators, particularly those who may be hesitant due to internal GOP divisions. He noted the significant challenges of balancing the bill’s provisions, which involve major tradeoffs in areas like spending cuts, social safety net programs, and tax policies. The Senate’s internal divisions, particularly around the debt ceiling and spending cuts, are also a critical factor in the bill’s passage. Thune acknowledged the need to address the concerns of potential opponents like Sen. Rand Paul, who has vowed to oppose the bill if the debt ceiling is included.
He also noted the difficulty of meeting the demands of other deficit hawks, such as Ron Johnson, who has been a potential opponent. Thune is also working with moderate senators like Susan Collins and Josh Hawley, who have raised concerns about the bill’s impact on programs like Medicaid and the House’s changes to the state-and-local tax deduction. Thune has been in close consultation with Trump, who has been providing direction on what the bill should include, particularly regarding key senators who need to be persuaded to support the legislation.
The process of fine-tuning the legislation will largely occur behind closed doors, with each committee deciding whether to hold votes on their piece of the bill. Thune emphasized the need for a final push to secure 51 votes, possibly with the support of Vice President JD Vance as a tie-breaker. The timeline indicates that the Senate is preparing to bring the legislation to the floor in the last two weeks of June, with a final push toward the July 4 deadline. Thune’s efforts highlight the critical role of bipartisan cooperation and strategic negotiations in the legislative process, even within a single political party.