Johnson takes a victory lap amid Senate pushback on big, beautiful bill

Search Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks to the media after the House narrowly passed a bill on May 22. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images House Speaker (R-La.) took to the Sunday political talk shows to champion 's recently passed "." The big picture: Republican infighting threatened to tank the GOP-only legislation in the House before it narrowly passed Thursday, and some senators have made it clear they don't back the bill in its current form. Driving the news: Asked about criticism for the legislation on CBS News' "Face the Nation" Sunday, Johnson characterized the bill as "jet fuel to the U.S. economy." One of Paul's other complaints is over the $4 trillion increase to the U.S. debt ceiling included in the bill, which Johnson defended as "a critically important thing to do" while appearing on "Fox News Sunday." Friction point: But Paul suggested his vote was contingent on the debt ceiling provision. Zoom out: Johnson on Sunday also defended changes to Medicaid in the legislation, arguing to CBS News' Margaret Brennan that the reforms target the familiar refrain of "fraud, waste and abuse" and root out undocumented immigrants, who are for Medicaid, receiving benefits. By the numbers: According to a analysis, 64% of adults with Medicaid in 2023 worked full time or part time. Another 32% were taking care of home or family, were ill or disabled, attended school, or were retired. Go deeper: Want more stories like this? Sign up for Sen. Ron Johnson talks with reporters in the U.S. Capitol after the House passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on May 22. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images Sen. (R-Wis.), a fiscal hawk who has openly criticized House Republicans' , predicted Sunday that there are enough in his flock to stop the process "until the president gets serious about spending reduction and reducing the deficit." The big picture: Pushing 's "" through the House was far from a painless process, but the fiscal package now heads to the Senate, where the chamber is likely to . Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks to the media at the U.S. Capitol on May 22. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images 's "big, beautiful bill" will either spur or blow up the national debt depending on which congressional Republican you asked Sunday. Why it matters: There are enough in the Senate to scuttle Trump's premier legislative accomplishment if the optimists can't rally their votes. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images House Speaker (R-La.) is choosing his words very carefully, as he attempts to bridge the vast differences in his party over the "one big, beautiful bill." Why it matters: Four weeks after they agreed to the bill's framework, House Republicans appear more interested in making demands than making deals. Axios Media Inc., 2025 Johnson champions GOP fiscal package as Senators list grievances