In a recent development, President Donald Trump has expressed his intent to back a Republican candidate to challenge Senator Thom Tillis in the primary.
This comes after Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, voiced his opposition to Trump's proposed spending bill, which he referred to as the "big, beautiful bill."
Trump took to Truth Social, stating, "Numerous people have come forward wanting to run in the Primary against 'Senator Thom' Tillis." He further added, "I will be meeting with them over the coming weeks, looking for someone who will properly represent the Great People of North Carolina and, so importantly, the United States of America." He concluded his post by thanking his followers for their attention to the matter.
According to Fox News, Tillis, who is set to run for re-election in 2026, expressed his concerns about the proposed spending bill, particularly its deep cuts to Medicaid. He pledged not to support the bill through a procedural hurdle, which is a necessary step to initiate a series of debates and amendment voting, leading to the final vote on the bill's passage.
Tillis, while exiting the Senate GOP's private lunch on Saturday, stated that he has a "great relationship" with his colleagues but could not support the massive bill. He said, "We just have a disagreement. And, you know, my colleagues have done the analysis, and they're comfortable with the impact on their states. I respect their choice. It's not a good impact in my state, so I'm not going to vote on the motion to proceed."
The Senate managed to clear the hurdle late Saturday, initiating a debate on the bill with a 51-49 vote. Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, joined Tillis in voting against the bill. Trump, in response, questioned Paul's decision on Truth Social, asking, "Did Rand Paul Vote 'NO' again tonight? Whats wrong with this guy???"
The Senate Republicans, who hold a slim 53-47 majority, can only afford to lose three votes. Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, stated that she would assist in advancing the bill through the first step but was leaning against voting for the bill's final passage unless the legislation underwent further changes.
The latest version of the bill has delayed the provider rate crackdown by a year and added another $25 billion for a rural hospital stabilization fund over the next five years. Tillis, during a private lunch earlier this week, warned that North Carolina could lose as much as $40 billion in Medicaid funding if the changes were enacted. He plans to reveal further analysis on the impact of Medicaid cuts on his state, which he claims no one in the "administration or in this building" has been able to refute.
Tillis concluded, "The president and I have talked, and I just told him that, 'Look, if this works for the country, that's great. And if my other colleagues have done extensive research and concluded it's different in their states, I respect that.' We just have a disagreement based on the implementation in our respective states."
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