The One Big Beautiful Bill has been approved and signed into law by President Trump, yet the legislative machine in Washington continues its operations. Senate Republicans face challenges with many of their goals due to Democrats having enough votes to block proposals through a filibuster. They are now contemplating another attempt at using the reconciliation process to push through some of their objectives. As expected, there are a few standouts resisting.
Senate Republicans are gearing up for another attempt at the budget reconciliation tactics following their narrow success in passing President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” earlier this month.
The massive $3.3 trillion piece of legislation, which made permanent several key elements of the president’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, also featured reforms and work requirements for Medicaid and food assistance programs. Additionally, it allocated billions for defense and border security, finally passing with the crucial support of Vice President JD Vance.
Now, lawmakers are eying another shot at the grueling process.
Grueling it is and grueling it will be, but the reconciliation process, while limited in scope, will allow the GOP to bypass the 60-vote filibuster. Democrats hold that ace, and they aren’t afraid to slam it on the table. And, no, Senate Republicans should not consider a rule change to strip that away. Sooner or later, that shoe will be on the other foot.
Any new reconciliation bill will come along after October 1st, when the new federal fiscal year starts, and the Senate proponents want more spending cuts. Good – that’s what we voted for.
Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., another fiscal hawk who criticized the Senate’s changes to the initial reconciliation bill but voted for it in the end, said another reconciliation bill was “absolutely” feasible.
He’s gunning for more spending cuts and more ends to “government giveaways,” but noted the looming 2026 election season put them on a short timeline, however.
“[Trump will] have a better chance now, because you don’t have to deal with the filibuster, where you can get 50% plus one. If there’s ever a chance to do it, we need to do it now, because the midterms are coming up in the middle of next year. So really we need to push for the next eight months,” Norman said.
It’s unclear as of yet exactly what cuts would be included, and we can hope that they are actual cuts, and not decreases in the rate of increase, which has been how the federal government has defined “spending cuts” for quite a while now. But any cuts that are extensive enough that the Dems would be lockstep against them, well, those have to be worth doing. And it’s for sure and for certain that the Democrats will be united against any reconciliation package. If this is to be done, it has to be done without their support.
Meanwhile, the GOP’s leadership in both the House and Senate will have their own cats to herd.
