Republican opposition to the GOP’s “big, beautiful” reconciliation bill appeared to be softening Wednesday night after President Donald Trump and White House budget director Russ Vought spent hours meeting with party holdouts during procedural votes that party leaders held open.
House leaders have no desire to change the contents of the Senate-passed bill, which would force a second Senate vote and blow a self-imposed July Fourth deadline. But administration officials are hoping to ease the concerns of opponents by promising fixes that could be enacted either through executive actions or through a second reconciliation or appropriations bill later this year, lawmakers said.
The talks, which were ongoing, appeared to be making progress, as several House members who had voiced outright opposition to the Senate bill began softening their tone — and in one case, flipping from a previous “no” vote.
