Anticipates Amendments to Trump's Budget Bill by Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon
Title: Senate Mulls Over Trump's Mega-Budget Bill, Amid Fears of Exorbitant Costs and Harm to Medicare
Updated June 3, 2025, at 12:01 PM CDT
Senate Republicans are on the brink of passing President Trump's controversial, multi-trillion dollar budget bill, which barely scraped by with a single vote in the House. However, the bill faces potential alterations due to Senate senators' concerns about excessive costs and the impact on Medicare.
Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon revealed to Morning Edition that some Republicans are uncomfortable with the bill's contents, suggesting changes will be made due to Senate rules regarding budget reconciliation, the process Republicans are using to push through Trump's bill.
Senator Merkley and NPR's Steve Inskeep discussed the senator's concerns, as well as the changes he hopes to see in the bill. Here are the highlights from their conversation, edited for length and clarity.
Inskeep: Can Democrats shape or influence parts of this bill they dislike?
Merkley: Senate rules don't allow many provisions in the House bill, and many of our colleagues across the aisle, as well as Republicans, are uncomfortable with the harm this bill will cause to American families.
Inskeep: Such as?
Merkley: Millions of children will go hungry to finance tax breaks for billionaires, and 14 million Americans will lose health insurance coverage for the same reason. In essence, families lose, and billionaires win - the exact opposite of what Trump campaigned on.
Inskeep: You mentioned 14 million people losing coverage. Republicans claim it's just about making Medicaid more efficient, not about causing harm. Can you back up your figure?
Merkley: Yes, that's from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The CBO was established along with Senate budget reconciliation rules to provide nonpartisan, honest estimates on the effects of budget measures.
Inskeep: Now, there are provisions in the bill beyond the budget measures. For example, there's one that severely limits judges' ability to issue restraining orders against the Trump administration. Do you think that provision will stay in the bill?
Merkley: We think it's likely to get removed, as it's primarily policy-related and not about raising money or spending. However, Republicans may resort to the 'nuclear option' to push through the provision without adhering to the process.
Inskeep: Another provision bans states from regulating artificial intelligence for a decade. Is that likely to stay in the bill?
Merkley: We expect it to be removed as well, with precedent showing that Democrats have had to strip similar provisions out of their bills when challenged.
Inskeep: Despite spending cuts in the bill, it seems like it would actually increase the federal deficit. Dems have proposed ways to reduce borrowing. Any ideas?
Merkley: Absolutely. Eliminating tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans would generate massive savings. For instance, the top 10% would see about $90,000 in annual increased income, while the bottom 20% would receive approximately $90. By cutting tax breaks for billionaires, we can drastically reduce the deficit.
Inskeep: Trump said he favored tax hikes on the wealthy, but there are none in the bill as it stands. True?
Merkley: Correct.
Copyright 2025 NPR. All rights reserved. Reshaped for a friendly, open-minded conversation. Relevant insights from the CBO have been added where appropriate to support the facts presented in the interview.
- Senate Republicans are considering alterations to President Trump's budget bill due to concerns about excessive costs and the impact on Medicare.
- Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley discussed the bill's potential changes, suggesting that some Republicans are uncomfortable with the bill's contents.
- According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), 14 million Americans could lose health insurance coverage as a result of the bill.
- Despite spending cuts in the bill, it seems like it would actually increase the federal deficit, and Democrats have proposed reducing borrowing by eliminating tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans.
