Senate Roadblocks Mount for Trump’s Tax-and-Spending Bill as Musk Intensifies Opposition
President Trump’s expansive tax and spending plan, intended as the cornerstone of his potential second term, is encountering increasing opposition in the Senate. Concerns over its impact on the national debt, along with Elon Musk’s intensified efforts to block the bill, are jeopardizing its already precarious path to approval.
The core issue surrounding Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” is a recent assessment by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The CBO reported Wednesday that the bill would increase federal deficits by $2.4 trillion over the next decade and deprive almost 11 million Americans of health coverage, largely through substantial Medicaid cuts and new work mandates. This analysis has worried some Senate Republicans, who are now requesting significant revisions.
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, a Republican threatening to vote against the bill, stated to TIME on Wednesday, “I think Congress behaves like a spoiled teenager when it comes to spending. If you were giving a teenager $100 a week, and they wasted it all on gambling or alcohol, would you then give them $200?”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and other prominent Republicans attempted to discredit the CBO’s forecasts, claiming the analysis was flawed or biased. However, fiscal conservatives in the Senate remained steadfast, supported by Elon Musk, who amplified his opposition. After labeling the bill a “disgusting abomination” on social media, Musk posted numerous messages on X on Wednesday, criticizing the legislation and urging his followers to contact Congress and “KILL the BILL.”
Musk’s disapproval seems primarily directed at how the bill’s deficit expansion would negate the cost-saving measures he aimed to achieve as head of the Department of Government Efficiency under the Trump Administration. He’s also concerned about provisions in the House-passed bill that would eliminate clean energy tax credits and electric vehicle subsidies established by the Inflation Reduction Act. Tesla Energy, Musk’s solar and battery company, argued that ending these credits “would threaten America’s energy independence and the reliability of our grid.” This unexpected shift has surprised some Republicans who had anticipated Musk’s implicit support.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has led the bill’s passage in the House, has tried to mitigate the damage by directly contacting Musk. Johnson said Wednesday, “I hope he comes around,” though he admitted that Musk hasn’t returned his call.
Within the Senate, Johnson’s broader strategy of rapidly advancing House priorities with minimal adjustments is beginning to fall apart. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota admitted that major changes to the bill are now inevitable. “We’ll make some modifications to it, strengthen and improve it,” Thune stated Tuesday. “But ultimately, the math is simple—51 in the Senate, 218 in the House. That’s what we’re working toward.”
One possible modification Thune is considering is reducing the $40,000 state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap in the House bill. This cap is an increase from the current $10,000 cap, which House Republicans from high-tax states secured as a compromise. However, not all Republicans support the additional spending. Thune told reporters after a meeting with Trump and Senate Republicans on Wednesday evening that they discussed ways to reduce that amount, noting that “there really isn’t a single Republican senator who cares much about the SALT issue.” Such a move could alienate House Republicans from New York and New Jersey, who insist their support depends on the SALT provision.
“Let’s be clear — no SALT, no deal,” New York Republican Mike Lawler said Wednesday in a .
Furthermore, the bill’s extensive changes to Medicaid, like implementing new work requirements, are a point of contention. Republican Senators Josh Hawley of Missouri and Jim Justice of West Virginia have expressed concerns about a provision that would eliminate provider taxes—mechanisms states use to fund Medicaid—arguing it could force rural hospitals to close. Hawley also opposes a “sick tax” in the bill, which would impose new charges on low-income patients for medical visits. Other Republican Senators, including Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, may also create obstacles due to potential Medicaid cuts.
Trump has personally intervened, calling Sens. Hawley, Paul, and Scott. However, there’s little indication he has swayed the skeptics.
Paul, a libertarian-leaning senator who has often challenged Trump Administration policies, told TIME he intends to vote against the bill because it would raise the debt ceiling by trillions of dollars. “Congress has been acting irresponsibly for decades,” he said. “We spend $2 trillion more than comes in. They should have a very narrow leash. The only debt ceiling they get should be very, very narrow in time and very, very small in amount. And the more we vote on the debt ceiling, the better. I’d vote on it every three months.”
Trump, meanwhile, reiterated his calls on Wednesday to eliminate the debt ceiling altogether.
The growing list of disagreements has created a difficult legislative path for Trump’s key bill. Senate committees are now beginning to draft their own version, starting with less controversial parts and postponing the most divisive issues—Medicaid, energy, and taxes—for later. If the Senate approves any revised version, it must still pass the House again, which will be challenging given the slim majority and the increasing dissent among House Republicans.
The stakes are high not just for Trump, but also for Republicans as they approach a contentious midterm election season. Failing to extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts would result in a tax increase for many Americans. Trump’s legislation would also increase spending on defense and border security, while decreasing spending on Medicaid and food stamps.
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