President Trump on Tuesday said he’s not sure how to get Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s (R-Alaska) vote on his “big, beautiful bill.”
GOP lobbying efforts have focused on the Alaska Republican who has been holding out for hours over concerns that deep cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will hit her home state hard.
The president, while leaving the White House to travel to Florida for a detention center visit, was asked if there was any way to placate Murkowski, to which he replied, “who knows.”
“You tell me. You tell me. Is there?” he continued. “Alaska’s done so well with me. There’s never been a president better to Alaska than me but it doesn’t mean people appreciate it.”
Trump’s remarks comes as the Senate pulled an all-night vote-a-rama on amendments to the bill. The legislation’s future remains unknown as three other GOP senators in addition to Murkowski — Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) — remain as hold outs, putting its passage in jeopardy.
The president on Tuesday morning said he’s hopeful the Senate can get the bill passed that day, just moments after Vice President JD Vance arrived at the Capitol in the event he needs to case a tie-breaker vote.
“Hopefully soon,” Trump said about final passage. “Hopefully today, if we can— final passage.”