The race is on to define Trump agenda bill |
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The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Evening Report newsletter Subscribe *{box-sizing:border-box}body{margin:0;padding:0}a[x-apple-data-detectors]{color:inherit!important;text-decoration:inherit!important}#MessageViewBody a{color:inherit;text-decoration:none}p{line-height:inherit}.desktop_hide,.desktop_hide table{mso-hide:all;display:none;max-height:0;overflow:hidden}.image_block img div{display:none}sub,sup{font-size:75%;line-height:0} @media (max-width:620px){.image_block div.fullWidth{max-width:100%!important}.mobile_hide,.row .side{display:none}.row-content{width:100%!important}.stack .column{width:100%;display:block}.mobile_hide{min-height:0;max-height:0;max-width:0;overflow:hidden;font-size:0}.desktop_hide,.desktop_hide table{display:table!important;max-height:none!important}} 📈 Plus: Trump imposes more tariffs{beacon}BOTH PARTIES ARE SCRAMBLING to define the narrative around the “big, beautiful bill,” as President Trump’s signature legislative achievement is sure to play a central role in the 2026 midterm elections.
Republicans are gearing up to sell the mammoth tax and policy legislation to voters back home after accomplishing the unlikely feat of getting the bill passed and signed into law by July 4.
Still, it was a wrenching process that exposed deep divisions within the GOP over spending, debt, taxes and Medicaid cuts.
The Hill’s Al Weaver reports that the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) sent a memo urging members to use the August recess to get the word out about popular provisions in the bill, including no taxes on tips and the permanent extension of the 2017 tax cuts.
“Communicating the widely popular provisions within the OBBB effectively will be essential to turning out the coalition Republicans need to win in next year’s midterm election,” the NRSC wrote.
Democrats have already signaled they intend to make the Trump agenda bill a cornerstone of their midterms strategy, with the party’s House and Senate campaign arms rolling out their first ads since the bill’s passage focusing on Medicaid cuts.
“This is a rare policy gift to Democrats in that it was perpetrated by Republicans, harms almost everybody, and it’s actually relatively easy to talk about,” Democratic strategist Christy Setzer told The Hill.
Republicans don’t have to look far back into history to see the potential electoral ramifications of passing ambitious and polarizing legislation. The cycle after Democrats passed ObamaCare in 2010, the party lost 63 House seats and Republicans gained six seats in the Senate.
That legislation has since become popular, and The Hill’s Nathaniel Weixel writes that the GOP’s decision not to extend enhanced ObamaCare subsidies in the Trump agenda bill might be a part of the story Democrats tell in 2026.
“The absence of an extension in the 'big, beautiful bill' was especially notable given the sweeping changes the legislation makes to the health care system, and it gives Democrats an easy message: If Republicans in Congress let the subsidies expire at the end of the year, premiums will spike, and millions of people across the country could lose health insurance.”
Democrats are favored to retake the House, although the party faces a steeper climb to reclaiming a majority in the Senate.
Democrats got a boost in the quest to retake the Senate with Sen. Thom Tillis’s (R-N.C.) surprise retirement announcement. Tillis voted against the Trump agenda bill, citing cuts to Medicaid.
“It’s going to be a challenge,” Tillis told The Hill, likening it to 2010.
NEXT UP
Senate Republicans have until mid-July to approve about $9.5 billion in funding clawbacks recommended by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Most of the cuts are centered on public media and foreign aid.
There are some misgivings about the rescissions among Senate Republicans after the bruising battle over spending cuts in the Trump agenda bill.
The Hill’s Aris Folley writes:
“It’s been decades since Congress has approved a request to yank back funds previously approved by lawmakers. Trump tried to use the same process to rescind funds in his first term but was unsuccessful, despite Republicans controlling the House, Senate and White House at the time.”
2028 AROUND THE CORNER
Meanwhile, elected Democrats are already stoking speculation........