Senate GOP demands major changes to Trump’s sweeping legislative package

A sweeping 1,116-page bill pushed by President Donald Trump and passed by the House early Thursday morning is now under intense fire in the Senate — not from Democrats, but from Trump’s own party.

Senate Republicans are raising a host of objections to key provisions in the bill, ranging from aggressive Medicaid reforms and the rollback of clean energy incentives to a massive $4 trillion debt ceiling hike. These issues, along with regional disagreements over tax policy and national security concerns, threaten to derail one of the most significant legislative efforts of Trump’s second term.

Debt and Deficit Concerns Trigger Conservative Backlash

At the heart of the Senate revolt is a growing alarm over the bill’s projected $3.8 trillion addition to the national debt. Fiscal conservatives argue that it undermines core Republican principles.

“We’ve never, ever voted to raise the debt ceiling this much,” said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). “It’s not conservative, I can’t support it.”

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), a longtime budget hawk, warned that at least four GOP senators — enough to kill the bill if Democrats stay unified — are prepared to vote against it.

“There should be a goal to reduce the deficit, not increase it,” Johnson said. “This is a non-starter.”

Medicaid Reforms Worry Moderates, Rural State Senators

The bill’s proposed Medicaid reforms are another flashpoint. While President Trump has reportedly told lawmakers not to “mess with Medicaid,” several Senate Republicans say the bill does exactly that — and they’re sounding the alarm over its potential impact on rural hospitals and low-income residents.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) voiced concern about cuts to provider taxes used by states to draw federal funds, saying, “I’m very worried about our rural hospitals.”

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) criticized new cost-sharing requirements for working-class Medicaid recipients. “These are working people in particular who are going to have to pay more,” he said.

Clean Energy Cuts Could Undermine Red States

The bill also repeals clean energy tax incentives established under the Biden administration, prompting concern from Republicans in states that have benefited from a surge in private renewable energy investment.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) warned that abruptly ending these subsidies would hurt businesses that “need a glide path, not a cliff.”

In a letter to Senate leadership, Tillis and others cautioned that “full-sale repeal” of current energy credits could “weaken our position as a global energy leader.”

SALT Deduction Hike Divides the GOP

Another controversial feature is the expansion of the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap from $10,000 to $40,000 — a deal President Trump reportedly endorsed to win over House Republicans from high-tax blue states like New York and New Jersey.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) warned that this provision, which phases out for incomes over $500,000, will become “an issue” in Senate negotiations.

Senate GOP Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) acknowledged that changes will likely be necessary to satisfy skeptical senators.

National Security Concerns Over Spectrum Auctions

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, raised red flags over a House proposal to auction off government-owned wireless spectrum currently used by the Pentagon.

“That to me is of critical national importance,” Rounds said. “If this stays in, I can’t support the bill.”

Trump’s Coalition at Risk

President Trump, now in his second term, has made this legislative package a signature initiative. But the bill’s uncertain fate in the Senate threatens to splinter the fragile coalition Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) assembled in the House, where only two Republicans voted against it.

Senate Republicans are now meeting with Thune and White House officials in an attempt to revise the legislation without unraveling Trump’s legislative agenda.

For now, the message from the Senate GOP is clear: they want a rewrite — and they’re not bluffing.