One of the Republican congressmen spearheading opposition to President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful” bill declared Wednesday that he has rallied enough allies to kill the legislation before it gains traction.
Tuesday’s Senate passage has shifted focus back to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who has vowed to push the One Big Beautiful Bill Act through a vote before the July 4 deadline. That self-imposed timeline leaves him with less than two days to send the bill to Trump’s desk for signing.
Throwing a wrench into the process is Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY), who told Capitol Hill reporters that he leads a “bloc of 10” Republicans who have pledged not to support Trump’s signature domestic legislation. “10 would be enough to sink it,” noted FLVoiceNews reporter Eric Daugherty.
So far, Massie has kept the identities of his fellow fiscal hawks under wraps. None have publicly declared their opposition to the bill on social media. However, observers suspect that his bloc of 10 includes a mix of moderate and conservative Republicans.
Shortly after the Senate passed the bill, Freedom Caucus members Chip Roy (R-TX), Ralph Norman (R-SC), and Andy Harris (R-MD) expressed reservations about the spending legislation returning to the House for another vote. “What happened is our bill has been completely changed,” Norman said, referring to the tweaks the Senate made to the House bill. “I mean, from the [Inflation Reduction Act] credits to the deficit, which expands three quarters of a trillion dollars, it’s a nonstarter.”
Other fiscal conservatives expressing skepticism or declining to comment on the bill include Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Keith Self (R-TX), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Scott Perry (R-PA), Andy Ogles (R-TN), and Tim Burchett (R-TN). Meanwhile, moderates remain divided over the Senate’s reduction of SALT deductions for higher earners in affluent suburban areas that are key to their districts.
Reps. David Valadao (R-CA), Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), and Young Kim (R-CA) have remained largely silent on the bill. Meanwhile, Long Island Republican Nick LaLota (R-NY) posted on X that his team is reviewing the Senate’s amendments and appears more inclined than most to support the legislation.
“My team and I are reviewing all 887 pages of the Senate bill. Early analysis: middle-class Long Island families could see a $6K+ fed’l tax cut next year—$5K from the higher $40K SALT deduction. We’re closely analyzing other issues re nat’l deficit, health care, SNAP & energy,” he wrote on X, The Hill reported.
