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By Amanda Castro
Associate News Editor
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Republican Alaskan Senator Lisa Murkowski said Tuesday that despite voting in favor of the sweeping tax and spending package, she wants the House to return the "One Big Beautiful Bill" to the Senate for further work.
"My hope is that the House is gonna look at this and recognize that we're not there yet," Murkowski told reporters today.
Murkowski's vote was pivotal in the Senate's razor-thin 51–50 passage of the bill. The Alaska senator had been the focus of intense lobbying by GOP leaders, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, to secure her support amid concerns over Medicaid cuts and food assistance reductions. The bill now heads to the House, where its future remains uncertain.
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How Did Lisa Murkowski Vote?
Murkowski's reluctant "yes" vote underlines the fractures within the GOP over the bill's $3.3 trillion price tag and its sweeping policy changes. Her call for the House to send the legislation back signals that even among supporters, there's dissatisfaction with the final product. The passed bill determines the future of era tax cuts, Medicaid funding, and clean energy incentives.
The Senate's passage marks a significant win for President Trump, who has pushed for the bill's approval before July 4. However, with House Republicans divided over the Senate's revisions, including deeper Medicaid cuts and a faster rollback of clean energy credits, the bill's path to final passage is far from guaranteed.
What to Know
Murkowski was one of the final holdouts in the Senate, citing concerns about the bill's impact on Alaska's vulnerable populations. GOP leaders spent hours negotiating with her, offering carve-outs for Alaska on Medicaid and SNAP (food assistance) funding. While some provisions passed parliamentary review, others—like enhanced Medicaid payments—were ruled noncompliant with Senate budget rules.
Despite her reservations, Murkowski said voting "no" would have killed the bill entirely. "There is a tax impact coming forward. That's gonna hurt the people in my state," she said, referencing the expiration of Trump's 2017 tax cuts. Her vote allowed the bill to advance, but she made clear she expects further revisions.
The Senate stayed in session overnight, voting on dozens of amendments. Murkowski, Thune, and other GOP leaders huddled repeatedly to hash out last-minute changes. The final vote came after 20+ hours of debate.
The bill now returns to the House, where Republicans are split. Some hardliners oppose the increased deficit, while moderates are uneasy about Medicaid cuts. If the House rejects the Senate version, a conference committee may be needed to reconcile the differences.
Murkowski also pushed to preserve clean energy credits from the Biden-era climate law. While some phaseouts were slowed, most credits will expire by 2026 under the Senate version. The House version is even more aggressive in ending them.
List of Senators Who Voted Against the Big, Beautiful Bill
Republican Senators Susan Collins (Maine), Rand Paul (Kentucky), and Thom Tillis (North Carolina) joined all 47 Democrats in voting against the legislation, forcing Vice President J.D. Vance to cast the tie-breaking vote.
Each senator cited different reasons for their opposition. Collins pointed to deep cuts to Medicaid, warning they would jeopardize health care access for hundreds of thousands of Mainers and threaten rural hospitals. Tillis, who has faced backlash from Trump and announced he won't seek reelection, said the bill would strip Medicaid coverage from over 600,000 North Carolinians. Paul objected to the bill's impact on the national debt, calling for more aggressive fiscal reforms.
Despite the defections, the bill now heads to the House, where Republican leaders are racing to finalize it before Trump's self-imposed July 4 deadline. The legislation includes extensions of Trump-era tax cuts, a $5 trillion debt ceiling hike, and major changes to Medicaid, SNAP, and clean energy funding.
What People Are Saying
Murkowski, when asked why she voted for the bill today, said, "Kill it and it's gone. There is a tax impact coming forward. That's gonna hurt the people in my state."
In a separate interview with NBC News Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles, Murkowski said: "Do I like this bill? No. But I tried to take care of Alaska's interests."
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy on X following the vote: Thank you to
@VP and the Senate for passing the One Big Beautiful Bill. Now it's time for the House to fly it home to @POTUS' desk so he can sign it into law!"
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on the bill: "Republicans are in shambles because they know the bill is so unpopular." He pointed to a report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which estimated that 11.8 million more Americans would be uninsured by 2034 if the bill becomes law. The CBO also projected the bill would add nearly $3.3 trillion to the national deficit over the next decade, despite its deep cuts to welfare programs.
What Happens Next
The Senate-passed version of the bill is expected to be taken up in the House Rules Committee, possibly as soon as Tuesday. If House Republicans demand changes, the bill could head to a conference committee. Lawmakers are racing against the clock to finalize the package by Trump's self-imposed July Fourth deadline.
Updated 7/1/2025 3:27 p.m. for correction.
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