Senator Lisa Murkowski is the latest Republican to voice her concern about larger-than-expected Medicaid cuts in President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful" tax cut and spending bill.
Speaking to CBS News, Murkowski said she has been "pretty clear" about her concerns regarding the bill, particularly Medicaid and food benefits cuts for her constituents in Alaska.
"So I've been pretty clear that when it comes to Medicaid, those cuts that would harm Alaskan beneficiaries, that's not something that I can take home, right? We have some of the highest health care costs in the country. We have 40% of Alaska's kids that are on Medicaid. I want to try to do what we can to address certain aspects of our entitlement spending. We've got to do that. But doing it with the most vulnerable bearing the brunt of that is not the answer," she said.
Another Republican senator openly speaking against the bill is Josh Hawley, from Missouri. Speaking to Axios on Friday, he said the bill is facing a "nightmare scenario" as its chances of being passed in the House dwindle.
"It seems to me that now we're in a place where this provision is threatening the entire bill, and we just don't have time for that," Hawley, among the most vocal opponents to Medicaid cuts in the Republican party, told the outlet.
"I just think the idea of having now to go to a conference committee with the House because they say, well, we can't pass this... I mean, good lord, that's just a nightmare scenario," he added.
President Donald Trump has said he wants the bill on his desk on July 4, but reports show that GOP leadership is growing increasingly worried about the possibility it won't be able to do it.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has been criticized by fellow Republicans over the cuts. Asides from Hawley and Murkowski, Sen. Susan Collins also voiced their disagreement over not just the scale of the cuts, but the lack of communication from leadership.
Meanwhile, Thune and Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo defended the bill, arguing that cuts are needed to offset the cost of permanent tax breaks and comply with budget rules.
GOP leadership is also facing challenges from Ron Johnson and Rand Paul, who have also criticized the bill for other reasons, claiming they currently won't support it.
Over 4 in 10 Americans oppose the bill as it stands. The scenario is illustrated by a Washington Post-Ipsos poll that surveyed 1,167 U.S. adults between June 6-10. Results have a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
According to the survey, 42% of Americans oppose the budget bill "changing tax, spending and Medicaid policies," compared with 23% of Americans who support the bill and 34% who say they have no opinion.
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