Senate panel navigates delicate compromises on Medicaid, taxes in latest chunk of Trump's megabill

A Senate panel charged with some of the most hot-button portions of President Donald Trump’s "big, beautiful bill" unveiled its portion of the gargantuan package on Monday.

The Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over tax policy, Medicaid and a slew of other items baked into the House GOP’s version of the bill, released its text as Republicans sprint to finish work on the president’s bill ahead of a self-imposed July 4 deadline.

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The committee, chaired by Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, had to walk a perilous tightrope with their legislation, given the push and pull surrounding divisive cuts to Medicaid, an increase to the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap and other provisions in the House’s version of the bill.

Crapo lauded the bill in a statement, and noted that it made the president's 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent, slashed "Green New Deal" spending and targeted "waste, fraud and abuse in spending programs while preserving and protecting them for the most vulnerable." 

"I look forward to continued coordination with our colleagues in the House and the Administration to deliver President Trump’s bold economic agenda for the American people as quickly as possible," he said. 

While House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., pleaded with Senate leaders to change the bill as little as possible after narrowly passing the bill in the House, particularly on the compromises he reached on SALT and Medicaid, the Senate has vowed to leave its imprint on the package. 

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Crapo and Republican committee members have similarly had to navigate divisions in the upper chamber, particularly around Medicaid tweaks to provider payments and an increase to the SALT cap to $40,000 — a change needed to ram the bill through the House, but one Senate Republicans dislike. 

Trump says Iran would 'like to talk' about dialing down Israel-Iran conflict

President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran would "like to talk" about dialing down the Israel-Iran conflict during a quick appearance in front of reporters alongside Canada's prime minister at this week's G7 conference. 

The president made the comment after a reporter asked if Trump had seen or heard "any signals or seen any messages from intermediaries that Iran wishes to de-escalate the conflict."

"They'd like to talk, but they should have done that before," Trump responded. "But I'd say Iran is not winning this war. And they should talk, and they should talk immediately before it's too late."

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Trump's comments come amid an ongoing exchange of missile barrages between Israel and Iran. The battle began last week when Israel launched attacks from inside Iran targeting many of Iran's top military commanders and the country's nuclear facilities. 

Trump reiterated during his Monday comments from the G7 that he had provided Iran 60 days to strike a deal on a new nuclear deal that the president has suggested could have prevented the current fighting.

"They had 60 days, and on the 61st day, I said, 'We don't have a deal,'" Trump said while standing next to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. "They have to make a deal. And it's painful for both parties."

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When asked what it would take for the U.S. to get involved in the conflict militarily, Trump said, "I don't want to talk about that."

"We've always supported Israel," Trump added when asked what material support the United States was providing Israel amid the attacks. "We have, for a long period of time, strongly, and Israel is doing very well right now."

On Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported that, according to Middle Eastern and European officials, Iran has been sending messages to Israel and the U.S. – via Arab intermediaries – signaling they are open to returning to the negotiating table under the condition the U.S. does not join Israel in its attacks.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on this story.

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