Senate GOP Shy of Magic Number, With Murkowski Key

The Senate has been up all night voting and haggling on the "big beautiful bill" that would pay for President Trump's agenda, but Senate Republicans still don't have the needed votes, reports Punchbowl News. Trump wants the bill passed by July 4.

• Focus on Murkowski: The math is pretty simple on the vote: GOP Sens. Thom Tillis and Rand Paul already say they're voting no, and Republican leaders can avoid only three defections. Roughly a half-dozen GOP senators continue to have objections, but the Hill reports that the focus seems to have shifted to Alaska's Lisa Murkowski.

• Late-night meeting: Murkowski, who is worried about Medicaid cuts to her state, met with Senate GOP Leader John Thune in his office about 4am but emerged with no sign she had switched to a "yes" vote, per Axios. Susan Collins of Maine also remains uncommitted to voting in favor.
• Another hurdle: Thune told reporters he is "close" to the magic number need to pass the measure, which would extend nearly $4 trillion in tax cuts. Even if the Senate gets there, however, the bill must still go back to the House, and Speaker Mike Johnson has been signaling that changes made in the Senate could jeopardize the measure there, per the AP. "I have prevailed upon my Senate colleagues to please, please, please keep it as close to the House product as possible," said Johnson.