Vice President JD Vance told colleagues at a Senate GOP lunch on Tuesday that Republicans aim to pass a reconciliation bill by the August recess, according to Politico and Punchbowl News.
“I was gratified and optimistic after talking to the senators,” Vance told reporters, per Politico. He acknowledged that some lawmakers still had concerns, including Maine Republican Susan Collins, who has raised objections to proposed changes in how Medicaid is funded.
“She’s got some concerns. And other folks have concerns. You just have to work through them,” Vance said. “If we can’t address that concern in your preferred way, is there another way that we can fix it?”
To stay on track for the August goal, the Senate must pass its version of the bill by July 4, Vance told Republicans, according to Punchbowl News’ Andrew Desiderio.
Associated Press
Why It Matters
The vice president’s comments came amid ongoing negotiations over contentious provisions, especially proposed changes to Medicaid and new tax incentives outlined in the Senate Finance Committee’s draft released Monday.
President Donald Trump had previously set a July 4 deadline for Congress to pass his sweeping tax and spending package, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” and deliver it to his desk for signing.
What To Know
The bill is Trump’s top legislative priority. It passed the House last week and includes a sweeping package of tax cuts, border security funding and federal spending reductions.
The Senate version, unveiled Monday by the Finance Committee, contains deeper cuts to Medicaid and repeals several clean energy tax incentives to offset the cost of expanded tax relief.
Bloomberg reported that the Senate bill preserves Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and adds new breaks, including eliminating taxes on tips and some overtime pay. But to pay for the plan, Senate Republicans propose more aggressive reductions to Medicaid than those in the House bill—a move that has drawn resistance from some moderates.
Vance said the party was largely unified on goals such as blocking undocumented immigrants and people who choose not to work from accessing Medicaid.
“They’re all very confident we’re eventually going to get there,” he said.
Still, the clock is ticking. The White House has warned that if Congress fails to act, key provisions of the Trump-era tax cuts will expire at the end of the year. According to administration estimates, that would mean a 26 percent tax hike for the average family of four.
A White House report also projected that more than 1.1 million manufacturing jobs could be lost if Congress doesn’t extend current tax policies.
What People Are Saying
Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz, on X, formerly Twitter: “It’s going to be ugly, and it’s going to be bumpy. But we’re going to get President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill done.”
Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, chair of the Judiciary Committee: “The bill makes historic investments to strengthen our nation’s border security and immigration system” and backs law enforcement funding.
What Happens Next
Republicans plan to bring the bill to a committee vote in the coming weeks.
Update 6/17/25, 5:24 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to include additional information and comments.
