GOP Unprepared for the Storm: Democrats Smiling as Budget Backlash Looms

WASHINGTON — Democrats find themselves unsure whether to shout, weep, or rejoice, so they're essentially doing all three. Once they manage to squeeze in an hour or two of sleep.

Following lengthy discussions, legislators from the House had to work through the night until Republican members ultimately approved President Donald Trump’s budget proposal, known as his One Big Beautiful Bill ,” early Thursday morning.

The difficult part now starts. Numerous Republican senators are calling for modifications to the plan. sweeping measure , which advances Trump’s priorities while cutting both taxes and spending on programs such as Medicaid. Democrats, meanwhile, are ready for battle — and say the GOP just gave them all the ammo they need.

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They remain oblivious," Representative John Garamendi (D-CA) stated to Raw Story, referring to the secretive nature of the bill's last-minute discussions and approval. "When actions are inappropriate, one prefers they stay unnoticed; conducted discreetly and behind closed doors so as not to face consequences. Consequences will indeed follow for them.

Throughout the night, congressional staffers pored over as much of the 1,000+ page bill as they could. Even committee chairs didn’t know if their amendments made the final bill or were stripped out in secret.

These characters are penning the next campaign," Garamendi stated, referring to the upcoming midterm elections. "There could be as many as 50 districts at stake, possibly even more. In these areas, this legislation includes some extremely impactful clauses. Significant matters like Medicaid and taxation are concerning enough — but there’s still much about which we remain uncertain.

'Chairs can't read their own documents.'

By 6:24am, when legislators cast their votes on the final bill, the Capitol had transformed into something resembling a frat house rather than the usual staid legislative chamber they were accustomed to.

In public bathrooms, attendants cleaned teeth stained from Cheetos. Legislators sprawled around wearing jeans or gym clothes. Trash bins brimmed over with pizza boxes, cookie wrappings, and squashed energy drink containers. At one point, the caffeine ceased being effective—most of the lawmakers appeared like zombies.

“I’m hanging in, but struggling,” House Budget Chair Jodey Arrington (R-TX) told Raw Story through a big yawn, just after midnight.

But on the outside at least, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) seemed energized, almost giddy.

Mike Johnson strolled into the Capitol with an expression resembling that of the Cheshire Cat," Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) shared with Raw Story on the steps outside at approximately 2 a.m. "Actually, come to think of it, he often carries himself as though he’s sporting a grin akin to the Cheshire Cat, yet tonight his smile seemed even broader.

Regular legislators didn't have the chance to view—let alone peruse—the complete bill until roughly 9 pm on Wednesday. Powerful committee heads even rushed to ensure that oral agreements were committed to writing.

When Raw Story questioned Stansbury about her thoughts on "the Republican Party gathering all their supporters for this cause, yet they're still reviewing the legislation, which means they haven’t even read the contents?"

“To be frank, it didn’t come as a shock,” stated the ex-Senate employee. “Let me assure you that on some of the committees I'm part of, the chairpersons often do not even go through their own legislation, hence I wasn't at all taken aback to learn that numerous chairs struggle with fundamental inquiries.”

Hardly any legislators managed to fully comprehend the extensive legislation, yet Democrats argued that the bill had turned into a Trojan horse, being exploited by Republicans for their ongoing cultural battles across the country.

"Dozens, if not hundreds, of particular clauses covering everything in this ultra-conservative spectrum—from abortion to education—continue endlessly," Garamendi stated.

This is an appalling piece of legislation. It could very well be the worst one I've ever come across. I have never witnessed anything comparable.

‘A master of distraction’

Lawmaking can get quite messy. Therefore, Democrats aren’t counting on garnering compassion from the electorate.

"As much hay as we can squeeze out of this… does anyone truly care by the time we finish staying late and pass the legislation?" Representative John Larson (D-CT) said to Raw Story during the wee hours.

Even though Democrats and their progressive base despise the Republican bill, they expect Trump to lean on senators until he’s sent a final measure to sign into law.

“He’s a master of distraction,” Larson said. “We don't give him enough credit, but you don't get to be president of the United States twice and not know a little bit about how to manipulate and how to get your message out. And he uses social media as effectively as anyone.”

Applying pressure on hesitant Republicans might be effective in the near future but could have disastrous consequences for the GOP in the upcoming midterm elections next year.

A few Democrats are reminiscing about 2009, back when former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) compelled her party to cast votes on a robust climate change bill.

During the 2010 midterm elections, conservative members of the party—the so-called Blue Dog Democrats—suffered significant losses, dropping from 54 representatives down to only 28. Currently, there are merely 10 Blue Dogs remaining. Comparisons are being made accordingly.

"Are you experiencing deja vu from when Pelosi brought the climate bill to the table, causing you to lose all the Blue Dogs permanently?" Raw Story questioned Larson.

Yeah," Larson replied. "Oh, indeed.

Pelosi guided her climate bill through with a vote of 219-212. Critics continue to express disappointment that moderate Democratic senators supported her on an initiative that didn’t even receive a vote in the Senate.

Speaker Johnson managed to get his bill passed with a vote of 215-214 , with two Republicans abstaining from voting and one voting 'present'. Similar to Pelosi, his smile might not last long either.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) addressed reporters at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

Although Johnson is encouraging the Senate to approve the House bill without changes, Republicans in the upper house dismiss the idea. Mistrust is evident.

“They have a dynamic over there that traditionally — historically, normally — is, like, structured but less conservative,” Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) told Raw Story.

After months of House Republican infighting, the ball is in the Senate’s court.

‘This should be DOA’

Several Republican senators have past experience in the House, yet that does not imply frequent communication between the two legislative bodies.

Even applies to someone like Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), a previous mixed martial arts competitor who departed the House merely two years back.

We don't chat as we once did," Higgins remarked with a smirk. "He would go to the gym before, but now he’s at that upscale one nearby.

Differences run deeper than just being skin deep at the gym.

Deep mistrust exists among certain groups within the House Republican Conference and their Senate colleagues, leading many Republicans—who have recently put themselves at stake by passing Trump's agenda consolidated into a single bill—to worry about their efforts being dismantled due to any senator’s caprice.

Several Republican senators have offered conciliatory gestures, vowing not to dismantle the extensive 1,000-page bill passed by the House.

We won’t be making drastic changes overall," Mullin explained to Raw Story. "Instead, we’ll work with the bill and attempt to freshen up some of the interior walls for...the Senate, as we also need to leave our mark.

Pass that along to Senator Ron Johnson from Wisconsin (Republican). He mentioned this week that the concerning report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) indicates report — which discovered that the House bill would boost the deficit by $3.8 trillion — proved he’s right to demand much steeper spending cuts.

Many Republicans distrust the CBO but Johnson says his “calculation” lines up with its independent assessment.

"Is that sufficient for you?" Raw Story enquired about the GOP pledge to reduce the debt, notwithstanding official calculations.

“Absolutely not,” Johnson stated. “Our focus ought to be on decreasing 10-year deficits rather than maintaining their levels or even escalating them. It should be dead on arrival. We really shouldn’t be discussing this at all.”

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