President Trump on Friday hinted his self-imposed July 4 deadline could move for congressional Republicans to pass his sprawling Big Beautiful Bill of massive tax and spending cuts.
With Republicans squabbling over key provisions, Trump for the first time eased up on his previous ironclad demand that lawmakers get the bill to his desk by the Independence Day holiday.
“It’s not the end-all. It can go longer,” Trump told reporters at a White House press conference. “But we’d like to get it done by that time, if possible.”
The president had previously ordered lawmakers to stay in steamy Washington, D.C. for as long as it takes to hash out their major differences on deep cuts to Medicaid, selling off public lands and the SALT deduction for state and local taxes, among other thorny issues.
Softening the deadline could be the green light Republican leaders need to send lawmakers home for their July Fourth break.
Some GOP strategists believe opposition to the bill will only grow as lawmakers fan out around the country and discover how unpopular it is with voters.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he was working on “plans B and C” to get the bill passed and House Speaker Mike Johnson said he was still hoping to meet the original deadline.
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
Senate Majority Leader John Thune arrives for a closed-door Republican meeting to advance President Donald Trump’s sweeping domestic policy bill, at the Capitol on June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Some GOP strategists believe opposition to the bill will only grow as lawmakers fan out around the country and discover how unpopular it is with voters.
The House narrowly passed the bill last month but both houses need to agree on the exact same bill for it to pass the Senate by a simple majority vote under the complex reconciliation process.
Senate GOP leaders are struggling to win the needed 50 votes to pass the bill in the chamber where they hold a 53-47 edge, amid sparring between competing factions.
The push has been set back by a series of key rulings by the Senate parliamentarian that will force lawmakers to rewrite a Medicaid cut that they were counting on to save $250 billion.
Trump sounded sanguine about the moves by Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough and brushed off calls for her to be fired.
“The parliamentarian’s been a little difficult,” Trump said. “In other ways she’s been fine.”
