Senate Conservatives Resist Trump’s ‘Beautiful’ Budget Bill That Increases Debt By $3 Trillion

President Donald Trump’s plans for his “big, beautiful bill” are raising concerns from many conservative Republican lawmakers. The bill, which is over 1,100 pages long, is expected to cost the country around $3 trillion in new debt. Some Republicans worry it will cause the national debt to grow even more and that voters will blame them for it.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida) warned that the government is already having trouble selling long-term bonds, which is a sign that investors are nervous. When fewer people want to buy U.S. debt, interest rates go up, making it more expensive for the government to borrow money.

Scott supports Trump’s goals, saying, “I want to get a deal done; I support the president’s agenda. I support the border, I support the military, I support extending the Trump tax cuts,” but he also admitted, “we got to live in reality here: We got a fiscal crisis.” He points to rising interest rates and inflation as signs that things are worsening, not improving.

Other Republicans agree. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) said the bill adds trillions in debt and doesn’t do enough to cut spending. He warned that if Republicans pass the bill without making significant changes, they’ll be fully responsible for the nation’s growing deficit. Paul also criticized the $4 trillion debt ceiling increase included in the bill, saying it gives the government too much freedom to borrow.

Even some moderate Republicans, like Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), say the bill needs more spending cuts. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) called the bill’s cost-saving measures “a joke” and said it doesn’t do enough to bring down the deficit.

Meanwhile, the bond market and credit rating agencies are starting to take notice. Moody’s recently downgraded the U.S. credit outlook, saying the government is failing to control its spending. Rising interest costs could mean hundreds of billions more in government payments each year.

With only a small majority in the Senate, Republicans will need to agree on changes quickly if they want the bill to pass. But with growing pressure from conservatives to make deeper cuts, that won’t be easy.