I just got off the phone with Senator Amy Klobuchar, who gave me a critical update on where things stand with the Senate Republican budget bill. Right now, Senators are more than seven hours deep into a grueling vote-a-rama, with each party largely voting in lockstep as a barrage of amendments hits the floor. A final vote is expected late tonight, possibly early tomorrow morning.
My ear is feeling a little bit better, but still not great. Nonetheless, I will be covering this all night until we know whether this bill passes in the Senate. Please consider supporting my work today by subscribing. Your subscriptions allow me to continue doing this:
But a major development broke during our conversation: Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine told reporters she is leaning no. That’s significant. Right now, two Republican Senators—Thom Tillis and Rand Paul—have already declared themselves firm no votes. Republicans can only afford to lose three. If Collins follows through, that brings them to the brink. All eyes would then turn to Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski.
As Senator Klobuchar pointed out, many of the provisions Republican leadership included to win Murkowski’s support are now being stripped out by the Senate parliamentarian—weakening their case to keep her on board.
We also discussed a controversial AI provision in the bill that would block states from enacting their own regulations. That measure remains a flashpoint in the broader debate.
We ended on a deeply personal note. Despite being in the thick of high-stakes negotiations in Washington, Senator Klobuchar is still carrying the weight of a tragedy back home. Just weeks ago, her close friend, Representative Melissa Hortman, and Hortman’s husband were murdered in what authorities are calling a political assassination. Klobuchar had to miss the funeral to be present for these crucial votes. But as she told me, she knows exactly what her friend would have wanted: “Politics is the highest form of charity.” And that’s why she’s still here—fighting.
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