‘Will come back to haunt them’: Dem. Sen. warns republicans supporting Trump’s megabill

Legislative Process & Key Amendments - Senate is in the midst of a "vote-a-rama" process on a budget bill critical to Donald Trump's vision [1][2] - Democrats are offering amendments to send the bill back to committee to change provisions related to Medicaid and SNAP, but Republicans are voting them down [3] - Senator Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voted with Democrats on an amendment shielding rural hospitals, highlighting their potential influence on the bill's outcome [4] - Republican Senators Rand Paul and Thom Tillis have expressed concerns about the bill's debt impact and Medicaid cuts, respectively [5] - Clean energy credits are also under debate, with some Republican senators noting their states benefit from these credits [11] Republican Divisions & Concerns - Republicans have 53 senators and can only afford to lose three votes to pass the bill [4] - Some Senate conservatives, including Ron Johnson, Rick Scott, and Mike Lee, reluctantly voted to begin debate but want more deficit reduction provisions [7] - Concerns exist among moderate Republicans like Collins and Murkowski regarding the bill's impact on healthcare coverage in their states [6] - Fear of Trump's retribution is influencing Republican senators' decisions, potentially overriding concerns about the bill's negative impacts [14] Democratic Opposition & Key Issues - Democrats believe the bill will negatively impact healthcare, potentially causing 16 million Americans to lose coverage [11] - Rural hospitals are expected to be significantly impacted by the bill, potentially leading to closures [10][19][20] - The bill is seen as disproportionately benefiting those at the top, with potential cost increases for those earning minimum wage by about 53% [24] - Democrats argue the bill will revert the country to pre-Obamacare levels of uninsurance [18]