The Senate Republicans' megabill tax package text won't likely be released until Monday, sources with knowledge of their plans have confirmed.
Senate Finance Committee members held an hourlong call Friday to brief on the issues as the senators continue to work on key items for the package, including tax provisions and Medicaid changes, reports Politico.
The lawmakers are also waiting for more cost estimates from the Congressional Budget Office as they proceed with negotiations.
Even with the text being released Monday, the documentation won't be complete, as blank spaces are expected for numbers on state and local tax deductions, phaseouts of green energy tax credits, and Medicaid provisions.
The SALT deduction could either be missing or have lower numbers than expected slotted into the tax plan. Further, the sources said that even if the Medicaid language is included, the GOP senators are considering that as a placeholder while they continue to hammer out agreements with some lawmakers who are still holding out on voting for the full bill.
Some of those hard-liners are also sounding like they are easing on their stance, Politico also reported.
Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Mike Lee of Utah, and Rick Scott of Florida appear to be on track to support the bill, according to the White House and their fellow Republicans.
"We all want to see President [Donald] Trump succeed," Johnson said this week. "Everybody is trying to help. That's why if I seem to have been striking a more hopeful tone, it's because I am more hopeful."
A few weeks ago, Johnson was demanding deep spending cuts and warning that Trump's "big, beautiful bill" would cause fiscal harm to the United States.
But after a meeting with Vice President JD Vance and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, a source with knowledge of the meeting said, the White House is "optimistic that there's a path to getting Johnson to yes."
Lee, meanwhile, said in a statement he has "been working with my colleagues and the White House to make the Big Bill Beautiful," but said, "It's not where it needs to be yet."
"We need to sell federal land to help fix the housing crisis, terminate benefits that flow to illegals, end the Green New Scam, and get rid of the Medicaid provider tax," Lee said. "I want to see this effort cross the finish line, but we need to do more."
Scott is also now saying that he believes there will be a deal reached on the bill, and that he is "doing everything I can to represent my state."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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