June 17, 2025


Vice President Vance Confident of Passing Major Bill by July 4 Amid GOP Negotiations

Vice President JD Vance, emerging from a pivotal GOP luncheon at the Capitol, expressed a robust optimism about passing President Donald Trump's significant legislative proposal before the July 4 congressional recess. "I mean, look, I can't make any promises ... I can't predict the future, but I do think that we're in a good place to get this done by the July 4 recess," Vance stated to the press on Tuesday.

The closed-door meeting with Republican senators was a crucial step in addressing the disagreements concerning Medicaid and tax incentives that arose after the Senate Finance Committee's unexpected proposals on Monday. Vance described his state of mind as "gratified and optimistic" based on the discussions held during the lunch.

Particularly, Vance's conversation with Senator Susan Collins of Maine highlighted the ongoing concerns about potential Medicaid cuts. The Senate's suggestion to reduce the provider tax, which many states utilize to fund Medicaid programs, has sparked significant debate. "She’s got some concerns. And other folks have concerns. You just have to work through them," Vance commented, emphasizing the necessity of finding alternative solutions if preferred options are unfeasible.

Vance also pointed out the GOP's unified stance on certain Medicaid policies, such as preventing undocumented individuals and those unwilling to work from accessing the services. The focus of negotiations, he noted, would be to reconcile differences surrounding further amendments to the bill.

"They're all very confident we're eventually going to get there," Vance assured, signaling a positive outlook among the senators.

Additionally, Vance had a brief discussion with Mehmet Oz, the CMS administrator, who also attended the GOP luncheon. This interaction underscored the administrative support and involvement in pushing the legislative agenda forward.

As the deadline approaches, the pressure intensifies to finalize the details of what Vance referred to as a "big, beautiful bill." The coming weeks are crucial as GOP senators work to align their varying concerns with the overarching goals of the administration.