Republican Senator Thom Tillis, who announced his retirement on Sunday, delivered a powerful speech on the Senate floor condemning the GOP’s sweeping Medicaid cut proposal, urging lawmakers to reconsider their approach ahead of a critical vote. His remarks came shortly after he revealed he would not seek re-election, signaling a shift and leaving the Senate in a pivotal moment as the majority party faces internal pressure over the bill’s potential impact on Americans’ access to health care.
The two-term senator, known for his bipartisan approach in the Senate, argued that the bill—part of a larger domestic policy overhaul—would disenroll 663,000 residents of North Carolina from their Medicaid coverage. Tillis said the plan would cut federal support by up to $26 billion, with the most severe consequences felt by low-income families and the elderly, many of whom rely on the program for basic medical and long-term care. He criticized the rushed timeline, insisting that the July 4 deadline — a key marker for the bill’s passage — was artificial and that lawmakers needed to reconsider the proposal’s design before proceeding.
In his speech, Tillis challenged President Donald Trump, who has been a key advocate for the bill, accusing him of relying on “people who have never governed” and making decisions based on “white papers” rather than real-world outcomes. He also directly told Trump that he had been “misinformed” about the bill’s impact, suggesting that the administration’s analysis overlooked critical details. Tillis claimed that CMS Director Mehmet Oz had been forced to admit the accuracy of his projections, which outlined the potential consequences of the bill.
Tillis, who once worked across the aisle to find solutions, said the bill’s provisions were akin to breaking a major campaign promise. He referenced former President Barack Obama’s promise that people could “keep their health care,” a promise that was largely unfulfilled. Tillis suggested that this current bill, which he called “the big, beautiful bill,” would create a similar rupture in trust with voters. He emphasized that the law’s design would hurt the people of North Carolina, who would be the first to feel the effects of the proposed cuts.
As the Senate prepares for up to 20 hours of debate, with a marathon voting series of amendments set to start Monday, Tillis hinted that he may return to the floor to voice further opposition. His comments have intensified internal GOP divisions, with some lawmakers concerned about the program’s long-term consequences. Meanwhile, Trump criticized Tillis for his vote against opening debate on the megabill, with Tillis claiming he had already told the president he was likely to retire, adding that he would “probably need to start looking for a replacement.”