Key GOP Senator Says Trump's 'Beautiful Bill' is 'Doomed To Fail': 'We're Not Even Close'

A key Republican Senator anticipated he won't vote for President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful" reconciliation bill, claiming that the current effort "actually increases" the budget deficit and is "doomed to fail."

Speaking to Newsmax, Ron Johnson said Republicans should come to terms with the fact that the bill is not viable as it stands. "I'm sorry, I've got to disagree with the president on this," he said.

The senator went on to detail that he is aware that "a number" of colleagues are "not even contemplating" supporting the bill either. "We're not even close," said Johnson, adding that the bill "actually increases the deficit," which he called a "non-starter." The senator had said last week that he wouldn't vote for the bill unless it reduced spending to 2019 levels, even though he conceded it is unlikely to happen.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he plans to pass the reconciliation bill by Memorial Day, but the initiative is facing mounting challenges both in the Lower House and the Senate.

One of the most contentious aspects of the bill involves cuts to Medicaid. While Trump and Johnson have pledged to not end benefits, the Congressional Budget Office said it would be impossible to find the bill's proposed $880 billion in cuts without targeting Medicaid, Medicare or the Children's Health Insurance Program.

Some members of the GOP have pledged to completely oppose any changes to Medicaid, while others, like Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) have said they are open to adding work requirements to Medicaid but will not vote to cut benefits. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, on his end, said he opposes the bill due to the proposal to raise the debt limit to $5 trillion.

Likewise, a dozen House Republicans warned Johnson in a letter last month that they "cannot and will not support a final reconciliation bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations. "There's about 25 people that have real concerns, but I know there's eight to 10 that are serious as a heart attack about this," said Rep. Jeff Ven Drew (R-New Jersey), who signed the letter.

Another major "red line" in the bill, according to The Washington Post, is the state and local tax deduction cap. Five House Republicans— Reps. Nick LaLota, Andrew Garbarino and Michael Lawler of New York, as well as Young Kim of California and Tom Kean Jr. of New Jersey, say they won't vote for legislation to extend the 2017 tax cuts passed during the first Trump administration unless the $10,000 cap is lifted.