Senate Plans to Vote Today on Republican’s Reconciliation Bill, While Appropriators Begin Laying Out Timeline for FY26 Spending Bills—Take Action!
Jun 30, 2025
By Kim Johnson, NLIHC Senior Director of Policy
Reconciliation Updates
Republicans in the Senate worked through the weekend to come to an agreement on the final provisions of their massive tax cut and spending bill, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA). The delay came after the Senate Parliamentarian, a non-partisan role charged with advising members of the Senate on the rules and procedures for advancing legislation in the chamber, flagged several provisions that violated the Byrd Rule, which governs the kinds of provisions that can be included in a reconciliation bill.
During this process, referred to as the “Byrd Bath,” the Senate Parliamentarian reviews the text of a reconciliation bill to identify Byrd Rule violations. Under the complicated rules governing the reconciliation process, any provision in a reconciliation bill must have a direct impact on federal spending or tax revenues; if a provision is included that violates this key rule, it must either be removed from the bill, or the bill will be subject to the usual 60-vote threshold required in the Senate, rather than the simple majority of 51 votes allowed under reconciliation.
Senate Republicans also have the option of rewriting the offending proposals so they do not violate the Byrd Rule. However, reaching an agreement on how to rewrite these provisions is another challenge, especially when any changes must also be agreeable to House Republicans. With a narrow majority in both chambers and unified opposition to the OBBBA from Democrats, Republicans can only afford to lose a handful of “yes” votes to get the bill over the finish line.
The Senate began the next step in the reconciliation process today, called “vote-a-rama,”a marathon session in which Senators may propose and vote on an unlimited number of amendments. A final vote on the bill is expected today; if it passes the Senate, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has signaled his chamber will be ready to take up the bill for a vote as soon as July 2, with the goal of sending it to President Trump for his signature by July 4. However, it is not clear whether the bill will pass in the Senate today, or whether House Republicans will be willing to pass the Senate’s version of the bill without making additional changes. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) said he would not vote for the bill, citing its impact on Medicaid coverage for low-income people and families. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have also expressed concerns about the bill’s impact on access to medical care and food assistance for people in their states.
While housing assistance is not a target for cuts, the anti-poverty programs being considered for cuts, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid, play a crucial role in economic stability for people and families with low incomes, helping them put food on the table and receive needed medical care. The financial assistance these programs provide also promotes housing stability: by helping families afford the cost of food and other necessities, more money is left over at the end of the month to ensure rent is paid. States can also use Medicaid to cover health-related social needs, including housing.
Advocates can learn more about the potential impact of the reconciliation bill on their states using the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities factsheets, available here, and contact their congressional officials to urge them to oppose the bill’s proposed cuts to Medicaid and SNAP using the Coalition on Human Need’s Take Action portal.
Appropriations Updates
Despite having yet to reach a topline funding agreement for the 12 fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations bills, known as “302(b)” allocations, members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees are moving forward with drafting their FY26 spending bills.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) and Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) are reportedly making progress on 302(b) funding levels and plan to begin reviewing draft legislation in the committee (a process called “markup”) after the July 4 holiday. In the House, Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) scheduled a subcommittee markup for the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) bill, which funds HUD’s vital programs, for July 14, with a markup before the full House Appropriations Committee slated for July 17. Both the House and Senate will need to release the text of their THUD spending proposals in advance of markup.
Congress has until October 1, the beginning of the federal fiscal year, to draft, negotiate, and pass final FY26 spending bills. Without a final spending agreement, Congress will need to enact a short-term funding patch known as a continuing resolution (CR) to maintain funding for federal programs and avoid a partial federal government shutdown. While Republicans control both the House and the Senate, any spending bill needs at least 60 votes to pass the Senate, so final appropriations bills will need bipartisan support to be enacted.
Take action TODAY: Urge Congress to expand, not cut, funding for vital affordable housing and homelessness assistance programs!
Use NLIHC’s advocacy toolkit, Opposing Cuts to Federal Investments in Affordable Housing, to call on Congress to protect and expand affordable housing and homelessness resources, including:
Full funding to renew all existing Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) contracts and 60,000 Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVs).
Increased funding for public housing operations and public housing capital needs.
$4.922 billion for HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants (HAG) program.
$20 million for the Eviction Protection Grant Program (EPGP).
At least $1.3 billion for HUD’s tribal housing programs and $150 million for competitive funds targeted to tribes with the greatest needs.
Email or call members’ offices to tell them about the importance of fully funding affordable housing and homelessness resources that are vital to community development and growth. You can use NLIHC’s Take Action page to contact your member offices.
Share stories of those directly impacted by homelessness and housing instability. Storytelling adds meaningful context to your advocacy and can help lawmakers see how their policy decisions impact real people. Use this resource from the HoUSed campaign to learn about how to tell compelling stories.
National, state, local, Tribal, and territorial organizations can also join over 2,700 organizations on CHCDF’s national letter calling on Congress to support the highest level of funding possible for affordable housing, homelessness, and community development resources in FY26.