Senate Republicans Push for Deeper Cuts as Musk Slams Trump’s Spending Bill
by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – Senate Republicans are scrambling to trim more federal spending from President Donald Trump’s signature economic legislation than their House colleagues, after the bill–once praised by Trump as “big” and “beautiful”–came under fire for its ballooning deficit impact.
The $4 trillion House-passed package includes $1.7 trillion in spending cuts but would still add $2.3 trillion to the national deficit before accounting for economic growth. Now, the Senate is signaling plans to go further in cutting costs, targeting what Majority Leader John Thune called “waste, fraud, and abuse” within the federal government.
“We believe there’s more room to cut, and we intend to make this package more fiscally responsible,” said Thune, South Dakota Republican, on Tuesday.
Billionaire Elon Musk, who recently stepped down as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, amplified conservative frustration this week, denouncing the House bill as “a disgusting abomination” on his social media platform X. “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong,” Musk posted.
The post gained traction among fiscal hawks in the Senate. “Reckless spending has gutted America’s middle class and fueled inflation,” said Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), who is pushing to slash both discretionary and mandatory spending through rescissions and future appropriations bills.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) also aligned with Musk, promising to continue working toward a balanced budget within three years.
But the growing conservative revolt has triggered pushback from Trump allies. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who helped shepherd the bill through the House, called Musk’s comments “very disappointing” and insisted the Tesla CEO misunderstood key details of the package, despite a recent 20-minute phone call between the two.
“With all due respect, my friend Elon is terribly wrong,” Johnson told reporters. “This bill protects families, secures the border, fuels the economy, and cuts more spending than any bill in U.S. history.”
While the bill would extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and invest heavily in border security and domestic energy, some Senate Republicans are trying to tweak its more controversial elements. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) objected to Medicaid copay proposals that could harm rural hospitals in his state, but floated alternate Trump-endorsed savings such as limiting government drug prices and reforming carried interest tax breaks.
Yet, the path forward is tight. With Democrats united in opposition, Senate Republicans can’t afford to lose more than three GOP votes. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) remains a hard “no,” citing concerns over the $4 trillion debt ceiling increase tied to the bill. He has called instead for a smaller, phased hike to maintain leverage for future cuts.
“$500 billion for three months is reasonable,” Paul said. “Asking for $2 or $3 trillion now isn’t materially different from $5 trillion.”
President Trump hit back on social media: “Rand Paul has very little understanding of the BBB, especially the tremendous GROWTH that is coming. He loves voting ‘no’ on everything… THE BBB is a big WINNER!!”
The White House echoed Trump’s message. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused critics of ignoring the bill’s long-term growth effects, while blasting the Congressional Budget Office for “historically underestimating” the impact of Trump’s past tax cuts.
“Trump is sticking with this big, beautiful bill,” she said. “And so is this administration.”
Senate leaders are aiming to unveil a revised bill by the last week of June and hope to send it to the president’s desk before the July 4 holiday.
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