A growing number of House Republicans — from moderates to hardliners — are expressing grievances with key components of the megabill encompassing President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda — threatening to undercut the package’s momentum ahead of an expected vote late next week.
Speaker Mike Johnson faces yet another critical test of his speakership and must corral his divided conference around the final reconciliation package in the House. Johnson can only afford to lose three GOP defections and currently there are enough lawmakers signaling opposition to stop the bill from advancing to the Senate.
Hardliners demand changes to Medicaid overhaul
Several hardliners expressed deep concerns with the plan from the Energy and Commerce Committee, which completed a marathon 26-hour markup Wednesday afternoon, to overhaul Medicaid, which includes new work requirements that won’t take effect until 2029 and imposes more frequent eligibility checks for beneficiaries.
South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman demanded changes, specifically the work requirements provision.
Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson speaks as Rep. John Rutherford and House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer listen during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol, May 14, 2025 in Washington.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
“Work requirements cannot be extended to 2029. I can’t come to your station and say, ‘I’m here to pick up a check. What do you do? Norman? I don’t do anything.’ No, it’s not right in ’29, it’s not right now,” Norman said.
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris called the Medicaid plan “a joke.”
“The proposal to stop waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid will do little to achieve that. The common-sense work requirement for able-bodied adults doesn’t start for four years (into the next administration) and CAN BE WAIVED by any state for “hardship” that they determine (and they will). What a joke. The swamp is real. And by the way…the federal government should NOT pay states more for able-bodied, working-age adults on Medicaid than it pays states for children, pregnant women, seniors, and people with disabilities on Medicaid,” Harris said in a post on X.
Rep. Victoria Spartz, who often changes her position, said on X, “the GOP is legalizing Medicaid for illegals at a higher federal match rate than for the most vulnerable Americans — seems hypocritical and screwed up.”
Georgia Rep. Rich McCormick took issue with the package at large.
“I don’t think I’m a yes right now, but that shouldn’t surprise anybody. We have several things to work out. There’s got to be a minimum savings in this year. The reason I say this is because, if you give me a 10-year plan, tell me why that won’t change next year,” he said.
SALTy Republicans
Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee advanced part of Trump’s tax bill early Wednesday after going all night, but the state and local tax deductions cap is still in limbo and threatens the entire package — as several GOP lawmakers from states like New York and California object to the current proposal of a $30,000 deduction that is subject to a phaseout for those earning more than $400,000.
“This does not have my support,” New York Rep. Mike Lawler said. “As this stands right now, I am a no, and so they’re going to need to come up with a solution here, and quickly if they want to stay on the schedule that they’ve outlined.”
Lawler said of the proposed $400,000 cap, claiming, “You’re screwing a whole host of people who are getting hammered by property taxes.”
“So, from my vantage point, obviously we are continuing the dialogue with the speaker in good faith, and I am hopeful that we will get there, but this is something where I’m not going to be rolled,” he insisted. “I’m not going to be pushed into supporting something that screws my constituents.”
Rep. Nick LaLota of New York also declared “there is no deal without a true SALT fix.”
“We are far away from a deal but at least we are talking,” he added.
Missouri Rep. Eric Burlison said the SALT Caucus — including Lawler and LaLota — should “stop bitching.”
“You need to get behind the cuts that we need to find the savings that we need to find. Stop bitching,” Burlison said. “The reality is, we’re $37 trillion in debt and we have a $2 trillion deficit. This is a math problem.”
Despite the push and pull within the conference, some Republicans are clear eyes about delivering a legislative win for the president.
“I would love to see more things done with Medicaid,” North Carolina Rep. Mark Harris said. “But I understand that, and I feel like we just got to look at the big picture.”
The House Budget Committee is slated to convene Friday morning to tie the 11 bills together under reconciliation into Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful bill” before sending it to the Rules Committee and then finally to the floor for a vote next week.
Johnson said Republicans are “still on target” to pass the megabill by his Memorial Day Deadline.
“I feel very good. We’re very positive moving forward,” Johnson said leaving the closed GOP conference meeting. “We’re very optimistic about the path ahead. We’ve got a few more details to work out but we’re going to work them out.”