Senate votes to advance tax and spending bills
President Trump’s bill passed a key procedural vote in the Senate. Lawmakers voted 51-49.
North Carolina Republican Sen. Tom Tillis is a key hold on President Donald Trump’s radical laws on taxes, Medicaid, border resources and more, and will not seek re-election.
Tillis, who was first elected to the Senate in 2014, said it was “not a difficult choice” and that leaders hoping for a bipartisan solution have become “endangered species” in Washington.
“A lot of my colleagues noticed last year and sometimes joked, so I wasn’t exactly excited to run another semester.
“That’s not a difficult choice and I wouldn’t be looking for reelection,” he said in a statement.
Tillis’ seats on the North Carolina battlefield were already Senate Democrats’ highest target in the 2026 midterm elections. He faced a potentially brutal battle to maintain his seat when the left was pushed back to regain control of the chamber.
After Tillis opposed the advancement of the GOP’s massive domestic policy bill on June 28, Trump threatened to accept potential major challengers in a series of social media posts.
“Tom Tillis is making a big mistake with the amazing people in America and North Carolina!” Trump said on his social media platform, True Social.
Tillis said on June 28 that he could not support the bill as it would likely affect Medicaid and rural hospitals.
“I did homework on behalf of North Carolinians, but I can’t support this bill in its current form. It would bring tens of thousands of dollars of lost funds for North Carolina, including hospitals and rural communities,” Tillis’ statement read.
“This forces the state to make painful decisions, such as eliminating hundreds of thousands of Medicaid compensation in the expanded group and reducing the critical services of people in traditional Medicaid groups,” he added.
The House has approved major changes to Medicaid. Medicaid was expected to save at least $625 billion. This could potentially lose 7.6 million Americans over the next decade. The Senate calls for even deeper cuts, and lawmakers are expected to vote for the push early June 30th.
