Senate returns for ‘big beautiful bill’ showdown. Will NC lawmakers get involved?
Happy Monday! It’s Danielle Battaglia with another Under the Dome. Welcome back! On Mondays we focus on President Donald Trump’s actions and their effects on North Carolina.
Congress was on vacation last week, but both chambers are back by Tuesday.
I should warn you, with their return comes another two weeks of discussion on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — and, I’m sure, Republican infighting.
That’s right. Just when you thought it was over, they drag you back in.
The House passed the bill before leaving for a Memorial Day recess, and now it’s before the Senate for approval.
Brace yourselves. The Senate won’t approve it in its current form.
I’ve already told you about proposed cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and a raised tax on private colleges and universities.
Sen. Thom Tillis has been open that he does not support portions of the current version. He’s been most vocal about cuts to clean energy tax credits.
The current version of the bill deters clean energy producers from working with China, limits and then ends tax credits on wind and solar projects and quickly eliminates tax credits for electric vehicles (sorry, Elon Musk).
“Sen. Tillis wants to make sure nothing in the bill impedes jobs or growth,” said Daniel Keylin, Tillis’ senior adviser. “It’s not necessarily about keeping those credits, but it’s about providing those businesses with a soft landing.”
Sen. Ted Budd, a Republican from Davie County, hadn’t spoken publicly about the bill, but after this newsletter published he sent The News & Observer a statement Monday. He’s a staunch supporter of Trump’s and doesn’t often push back on Republican legislation.
“Senate Republicans are united with President Trump and our House colleagues to stop the largest tax increase in American history, cut government waste, fraud and abuse, strengthen and preserve Medicaid, invest in our military, and secure our borders,” Budd wrote. “This is what North Carolinians elected me to do in 2022 and what the American people wanted when they reelected President Trump last year.”
He added that there is room to improve the bill and the Senate plans to work on that in the next few weeks.
The Hill reported Budd was among senators who met with Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo about Medicaid cuts and what they would mean for rural communities.
His staff did not return a request for comment Friday afternoon about any concerns Budd might have about the bill.
Trump asked the Senate to get the bill passed as soon as possible.
The Senate wants to finish work on the bill before its Fourth of July recess begins on June 28. That would leave the House an additional 12 days to review any changes the Senate made before lawmakers begin their monthlong annual August recess, which starts July 25.
What else we’re working on
▪ Richard Stradling has a report on the time frame — 3 years — it will take to rebuild I-40 in Pigeon River Gorge and why.
▪ A UNC Charlotte administrator is no longer employed after a video went viral of the administrator implying diversity, equity and inclusion was still being used on campus. Rebecca Noel has more.
▪ A decision made by the Health and Human Services secretary could put at risk insurance coverage of healthy children and pregnant women for COVID-19 vaccines, Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi reports.
▪ Kyle Ingram wrote that the U.S. Department of Justice is suing the North Carolina State Board of Elections challenging the voter registrations of a quarter-million voters. DOJ officials are challenging the registration of voters who they say did not provide a driver’s license or part of their Social Security number.
▪ The commencement speech by CBS’ Scott Pelley at Wake Forest University went viral last week. Sophia Bailly reports why Pelley believes journalism, higher education and freedom of speech are under attack and why that riled up Republicans.
As an aside, thank you all for your feedback on this newsletter last week. I appreciate all of you reading!
As always, feel free to reach out at dbattaglia@mcclatchydc.com.
We also want to know if Trump’s new policies are having a personal impact on you. You can fill out the form we created to get in touch with our staff and tell us your personal stories.
That’s it for now. Please be kind to each other. And check back tomorrow for the Under the Dome podcast newsletter.
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This story was originally published June 2, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
