Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) faced a wave of backlash after voting Tuesday to advance former President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful” budget reconciliation bill through the Senate, setting the stage for its final passage.
After casting her vote, Murkowski admitted she wasn’t pleased with the legislation. “Do I like this bill? No,” she told reporters. “But I tried to take care of Alaska’s interests.” She added that she hoped the House would revise the bill before it returns to the Senate, calling the rushed process “an artificial timeline” that lacked careful deliberation.
That justification didn’t sit well with critics. Her remarks were widely mocked online by Democrats and even some Republicans, who accused her of trying to secure benefits for Alaska while ignoring the broader consequences of the bill — particularly its deep cuts to Medicaid and social programs.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who voted against the bill, accused Murkowski of seeking a “bailout” for her state. When NBC’s Ryan Nobles relayed that comment, Murkowski reportedly responded with a 10-second stare before saying she made “no excuses” for defending Alaskan needs — particularly regarding rural exemptions to work requirements.
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) took a jab during a House Rules Committee session, sarcastically calling Murkowski “a cheap date” for allegedly securing a tax break related to whaling to win her support.
Despite Murkowski’s plea for House revisions, Speaker Mike Johnson made clear he had no intention of reopening negotiations: “It’s the president’s bill. It’s not a House bill, it’s not a Senate bill — it’s the American people’s bill.”
The White House, meanwhile, leaned heavily on Vice President JD Vance to shore up Senate support. Vance, who joined the Trump ticket after a short stint in the Senate, played a key role in sealing the deal, earning praise from Republican colleagues as the administration’s “closer.”
Democrats wasted no time tying Vance to the bill’s most controversial provisions. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) blasted him on X (formerly Twitter): “What happened to you @JDVance — author of Hillbilly Elegy — now shrugging off Medicaid cuts that will close rural hospitals and kick millions off healthcare as ‘minutiae’?”
Vance’s rising profile — and potential as a 2028 presidential contender — is drawing scrutiny. Alongside Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, he’s widely seen as a frontrunner for the GOP nomination should Trump not seek a third term. Democrats, still reeling from their 2024 defeat, appear to be gearing up for a more aggressive campaign to blunt the GOP’s next generation of leadership.
With Vance’s close ties to Donald Trump Jr. and a growing base of support, Democrats have made him a central figure in their messaging — both as the bill’s Senate tiebreaker and as a symbol of where the party is heading.
