GOP Senator Who Voted ‘Yes’ on ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Says She Hopes It Fails in the House
Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska played a pivotal role in the Senate’s recent passage of a controversial bill labeled the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) with a narrow vote of 51-50. While some Republican senators voted against it, Murkowski supported the bill but expressed hope that the House would reject it in its current form.She believes further deliberation is necessary and emphasized that the bill dose not fully satisfy her requirements, stating that voting against it would effectively kill the bill and negatively impact her constituents.
Murkowski highlighted that adjustments made to the bill addressed some of her concerns, such as increased flexibility for Alaska regarding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the removal of a tax on solar and wind projects. Even with these improvements, she acknowledged that the legislation is not ideal. Her preference is for the Senate’s version to proceed through a conference committee instead of returning to the house for a vote. House Republican leaders, though, are eager to advance the bill promptly, aiming to align it with President Trump’s America First agenda ahead of Independence Day.
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is hoping the legislation she supported Tuesday morning is rejected in the House.
Murkowksi was a critical vote to snare as the bill passed the Senate 51-50, with Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina joining the Senate’s 47 Democrats to vote against the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” Vice President J.D. Vance broke the 50-50 tie to send the measure back to the House, which passed a very different version last month.
According to Punchbowl News reporter Brendan Pedersen, Murkowski, a moderate, is hoping the House does not do as President Donald Trump has long hoped, which is to pass the bill so he can sign it by Independence Day on Friday.
“MURKOWSKI tells reporters she wants the House to send OBBB back to the Senate to continue the work. She voted for it. ‘My hope is that the House is gonna look at this and recognize that we’re not there yet,’ Murkowski said,” reporter Brendan Pedersen posted on X.
Asked why she voted for the bill if it needs work, Murkowski said voting against would have killed OBBB
“Kill it and it’s gone,” Murkowski said. “There is a tax impact coming forward. That’s gonna hurt the people in my state.”
— Brendan Pedersen (@BrendanPedersen) July 1, 2025
“Asked why she voted for the bill if it needs work, Murkowski said voting against would have killed OBBB,” he posted.
“‘Kill it and it’s gone,’ Murkowski said. ‘There is a tax impact coming forward. That’s gonna hurt the people in my state,’” Pedersen wrote.
Murkowski told Politico the decision to back the bill was “agonizing.”
“Did I get everything I wanted? Absolutely not,” Murkowski said.
Murkowski said that changes to the language for reforms to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program created “greater flexibility” for Alaska and added that extra support for rural hospitals “that is going to be very key” also helped sway her vote.
A tax on solar and wind projects she wanted removed was also done away with, she said, while the tax cuts Trump pushed for in 2017 are extended.
“I had to look on balance, because the people in my state are the ones that I put first,” Murkowski said. “We do not have a perfect bill by any stretch of the imagination. My hope is that the House is going to look at this and recognize that we’re not there yet.”
Murkowski said she wants the Senate bill to move through the conference committee process instead of going back to the House for a vote.
“I’ve urged the White House that I think that more process is needed to this bill, because I would like to see a better outcome for people in this country,” she said.
However, House Republican leaders on Tuesday indicated it would be full speed ahead, at least for now, according to Fox News.
“The House will work quickly to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill that enacts President Trump’s full America First agenda by the Fourth of July. The American people gave us a clear mandate, and after four years of Democrat failure, we intend to deliver without delay,” A House Republican leadership statement said.
“This bill is President Trump’s agenda, and we are making it law. House Republicans are ready to finish the job and put the One Big Beautiful Bill on President Trump’s desk in time for Independence Day,” the statement said.
Majority Leader Steve Scalise said votes on the bill could begin as soon as Wednesday morning.
But as The Hill noted, House Republicans of multiple political philosophies are unhappy with the Senate product.
“On the text chains, on the phone calls, everyone is complaining,” the site quoted one unnamed moderate House Republican as saying. “There’s a few little provisions people will say something positive about, but no one is happy with the Senate version.”
“It’s amazing to a lot of us — how did it get so much f***ing worse?” the GOP member said.
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