On Wednesday morning, the House managed to vote on the GOP’s “big, beautiful bill.” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) received notification over the weekend that he needs to return to Washington, D.C. for the vote on the Megaville initiative.
This development occurred as Senate Republicans worked hard to advance a significant tax cuts and spending package. After the Senate approval, the House will need to give it a final nod.
“Members are encouraged to expect votes in the House until 9 a.m. on Wednesday, July 2nd. Stay tuned for more updates on this week’s schedule,” the Whip’s office stated on Sunday evening.
The House had been on schedule for voting this week, aiming for the July 4th break.
If the Senate passes the legislation, it will first go to the House Rules Committee, which will decide the framework for the discussion. Following that, the whole chamber will need to adopt procedural rules for the bill, possibly on Wednesday morning.
Yet, it’s still uncertain when the House will receive the package.
The Senate is expected to start what’s called “llama voting” at 9 a.m. on Monday, allowing both parties to propose an unlimited number of amendments. It’s unclear when this process will conclude, but the Chamber of Commerce will eventually need to take the final vote on the bill.
I’m honestly not sure if the legislation will gather enough backing in the upper chamber. Moderate Republicans have voiced concerns over Medicaid cuts, while conservatives are not pleased with the proposed spending reductions. This raises doubts about the likelihood of Senate action. Still, the bill could potentially be modified during the llama voting to attract more support.
In the Senate, Republicans can afford to lose three members and still pass the package, assuming full attendance and unanimous opposition from Democrats.
The situation appears similar in the House. At least six moderate Republicans have expressed concerns regarding various provisions, like changes to Medicaid and the Green Energy Tax Credit. Rep. Thomas Massey (R-Ky.), one of two Republicans who opposed the House version last month, voted against this bill as well, adding to the list of dissenters.
House Republicans can also lose three members and still pass the bill, provided they have full attendance and all Democrats vote against it.
