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WASHINGTON — By Tuesday morning, July 1, Senate negotiations over the One Big Beautiful Bill had ground to a crawl as House Freedom Caucus members threatened to sink the bill unless Republicans agreed to cut even deeper.
Despite clearing several Byrd Rule hurdles, Senate Republicans faced mounting pressure from the right wing of their own party. Freedom Caucus lawmakers called the bill “too soft” and warned that unless Medicaid cuts, work requirements, and federal layoffs were expanded, they would block the final House vote. Meanwhile, Senate moderates voiced concerns about the bill’s damage to rural hospitals and essential services.
Senate leadership scrambled to patch together last-minute deals. Concessions under discussion included minor adjustments to work requirements, temporary funding to support rural hospitals, and limited exemptions for specific states. Hardline conservatives, however, demanded a return to deeper cuts and threatened to oppose any version that didn’t “hurt enough.”
Negotiations continued Monday morning as senators rushed to secure votes ahead of the July 4 deadline. House leaders signaled that any compromise would still face intense scrutiny when the bill returned for final approval.
Senate Republicans aimed to hold a final vote by the end of the day, though Freedom Caucus threats and moderate defections kept the bill’s future uncertain. President Trump continued to push aggressively for swift passage, warning of financial ruin if the bill collapsed.
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