The president has warned that his “big, beautiful bill” “must” be ready for signing by July 4, but Republicans in the House are becoming more and more apprehensive about the self-imposed deadline.
Retired House Freedom Caucus chairman Scott Perry (R-Pa.) told AWN Digital, “I think it’s more important to get the bill correct than it is to get it fast.” So said Perry. “I’m interested in a great deliverable product, and spending the time and the resources necessary to get that, whatever they may be.”
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.), who represents a portion of New York City, had the same sentiment, saying that while celebrating the Fourth of July is a “realistic” objective, it is not one to which she is personally committed.
Getting this done before July 4th is not my absolute goal. I know that’s the objective; it makes for a good soundbite, to do this on Independence Day while honoring America,” Malliotakis remarked. Finally, though, we must ensure that we do it correctly. Plus, I’d want to take my time—a few extra days, maybe even weeks—to guarantee that the American people will get a high-quality product.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson (La.) told reporters on Friday that he “doesn’t want to even accept that as an option right now,” but he did acknowledge that it was “possible” the deadline may slip. We are contemplating making an effort to promote this.
Legislators in the Senate are still hammering out the intricacies of the massive immigration and tax measure, which includes Medicaid and SALT deductions, among other important concerns.
Earlier, in late May, the House approved a different version by a razor-thin margin.
Even though the Senate has not yet produced a final product, a number of Republicans in the House are already complaining about the amendments that have been suggested and are threatening to vote against the plan when it comes back to their chamber.
The head of the House Doctors Caucus, Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.), expressed his displeasure with the Senate version’s far more severe reductions to federal Medicaid spending in an interview with AWN Digital.
“If the [federal Medicaid assistance percentage] is changed, we will not vote in favor of it,” is a sentiment shared by a large number of House members. That would mean North Carolina’s Medicaid expansion would come to an end. “I will not tolerate that,” he said.
When asked if a deadline of July 4 was feasible, Murphy responded, “I’ve been a surgeon all my life… ” In the event that a patient need my assistance in an emergency, I am accustomed to having my plans canceled.
“There might be some prudence” in abandoning the July 4 deadline, said to moderate Republican New York Representative Nick LaLota.
On the other hand, Republican Michael Cloud of Texas expressed more optimism. “I think it’s more worth it to get the bill right, but that’s not to say we won’t get it done by then,” added the politician.
According to Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Lloyd Smucker, the timetable is highly dependent on Trump.
It is anticipated that the bill would be passed by the Senate throughout the weekend.
Meanwhile, Johnson urged Republicans in the House to be flexible with their scheduled district visits next week. House Republican leaders have reportedly given AWN Digital conflicting estimates for when legislators are need to return to Washington, DC, from Tuesday through Thursday.
Moreover, there is at least one practical deadline that the House must meet; several estimates indicate that the United States will not have enough money to pay its bills by the summer. Raising the debt ceiling is one of the bill’s top priorities for Republicans.
“The House of Representatives must be ready to send it to my desk before July 4th – We can get it done,” Trump posted on Truth Social Friday.
While speaking to reporters earlier in the day, he stated, “We can go longer, but we’d like to get it done by that time, if possible.”
