Vice President JD Vance rushed to the Capitol on Saturday to potentially cast a tiebreaking vote, or convince at least four Republicans to switch their votes to advance President Donald Trump’s spending bill, dubbed ‘Big Beautiful Bill’. It seems like the VP succeeded partially early on.
Alaska Sen Lisa Murkowski, who was expected to vote ‘no’, went for ‘aye’. This comes after the 68-year-old repeatedly voiced concerns about the legislation, citing deep cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Mike Lee of Utah, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, and Rick Scott of Florida are the other GOP senators who are expected to vote ‘no’.
Senators Ron Johnson, Rand Paul, and Thom Tillis already voted against the bill due to concerns over Medicaid cuts and fiscal impacts. With Republicans holding a 53-47 majority, the bill needed 51 votes to advance, making Vance’s tie-breaking role as Senate president critical.
How JD Vance convinced Murkowski
Murkowski voted ‘yes’ after a conversation with Vance on the Senate floor. The VP, leveraging his prior Senate experience, likely addressed her concerns about Medicaid cuts, emphasizing amendments that increased funding for rural hospitals, a key issue for Alaska’s remote communities.
Earlier this week, Vance met with GOP senators, including Murkowski, during a closed-door lunch to discuss the bill. He expressed optimism about meeting the July 4 deadline and promised to address Medicaid concerns.
The bill’s latest version incorporated Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough’s rulings, removing problematic Medicaid provisions and adding rural healthcare funding, which aligned with Murkowski’s priorities.
Trump slams Thom Tillis
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump slammed Sen Thom Tillis for voting against party lines.
“Looks like Senator Thom Tillis, as usual, wants to tell the Nation that he’s giving them a 68% Tax Increase, as opposed to the Biggest Tax Cut in American History! At the same time, he is unable to understand the importance of a Debt Extension, which Republicans gave to the Democrats just prior to the November 5th Election, because of its significance, and how important it was for the future of the U.S.A,” he wrote.
