Republicans pitch second, smaller partisan bill to address affordability

Source: Yahoo! News/The Hill

Sun, December 14, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. EST


Some Republicans are hoping to pursue another partisan legislative package to boost the party ahead of the midterm elections, but President Trump and GOP leaders are signaling that nothing will come close to the scope of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Trump said last week that Republicans “don’t need” another big package to move through Capitol Hill “because we got everything” in the major tax cut and spending legislation passed earlier this year.

But calls to flex legislative muscle on affordability issues have come from inside and outside Congress, as some Republicans argue the party didn’t do enough to sell the megabill to the American public, and as others fret about how Democrats may get a leg up with their messaging on health care affordability if ObamaCare subsidies expire and the GOP provides no alternative.

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) on Thursday called for another reconciliation bill to address affordability concerns, mentioning tax and regulatory reforms, or GOP-supported health care measures aimed at boosting Americans’ incomes. “Pretty please, with sugar on top. I’ll add a cherry. I even got an old McDonald’s McRib coupon. I’ll throw that in, too,” Kennedy said on the Senate floor, his voice rising. “Please bring another reconciliation bill! Please!”

There is a general desire among Republicans to pursue another bill through the special reconciliation process, which bypasses the 60-vote threshold in the Senate and removes the need to secure Democratic buy-in. But while Republicans could get one or two more cracks at using that process in theory, seeing it come to fruition could be a heavy lift.

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