Senate Republicans Spark Showdown by Blocking Bipartisan Border-Ukraine Aid Bill—What Happens Next?

The Senate GOP is signaling a major rewrite of former President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax-and-spending proposal, warning that the bill will not clear the upper chamber without deep spending cuts and deficit safeguards. H2: Growing Conservative Revolt Over Deficits A bloc of fiscal-hawk Republicans—including Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI), Mike Braun (R-IN) and Ted Cruz (R-TX)—argues the House-passed plan would add roughly $3.3 trillion to the national debt over the next decade. Johnson told reporters there are “enough votes right now to stall this bill until it’s responsibly trimmed”. H2: Key Targets for a Senate Rewrite • Corporate tax cuts could be phased in more slowly to blunt the 10-year price tag. • New pay-fors under discussion include closing high-income loopholes and rescinding unspent pandemic relief funds. • Republicans are also eyeing stricter work requirements for the expanded Child Tax Credit, a signature Trump priority, as leverage for votes. H2: Leadership Attempts to Keep Unity Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has urged members to “produce one big, beautiful rewrite” that can secure 50 GOP votes and force Democrats to decide whether to filibuster deficit reductions. Behind closed doors, McConnell’s team is floating an aggressive two-week amendment process to give conservatives input while preventing floor chaos. H2: Timeline and Market Impact Republicans want to deliver a finished product to Trump’s desk by July 4, but each week of delay raises the odds that Wall Street will price in additional political risk. Treasury yields climbed five basis points Friday after reports of GOP resistance to the bill’s cost. H2: What to Watch Next 1. The Senate Finance Committee’s score of new pay-fors, expected early next week. 2. Whether moderate Republicans such as Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski back deeper cuts. 3. Potential White House concessions if the bill stalls; advisers have hinted at accepting a narrower corporate rate reduction to keep momentum alive. For now, Senate Republicans hold the fate of Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” in their hands—and the shape of the final package will reveal whether fiscal discipline or party unity ultimately drives the GOP agenda heading into the 2026 midterms.