WASHINGTON — Despite a recent endorsement from former President Donald Trump, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) said Thursday that the Senate plans to make changes to Trump’s sweeping “One Big Beautiful Bill,” raising concerns that the legislation could face renewed hurdles in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“We will have our own ideas here in the Senate, so we will be working that as we move through the month of June,” Capito said according to The Exponent Telegram.
While she praised aspects of the bill, including tax relief and spending reforms, her comments made clear that the Senate will not take up the legislation in its current form.
The bill—1,082 pages long—includes a wide range of priorities supported by President Trump and House Republicans. It would extend tax cuts first enacted during Trump’s presidency, raise the cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions, and introduce new work requirements for certain Medicaid and SNAP recipients.
The measure passed the House by a narrow 215-214 vote early Thursday morning, with no Democratic support and a slim margin among Republicans. That tight margin highlights the fragile coalition that pushed the bill through the lower chamber and underscores the potential risks of reopening negotiations.
If the Senate alters the legislation, it would need to return to the House for another vote—one it may not survive. Any revisions, especially those seen as diluting Trump’s original vision, could lead to defections from conservative members who supported the bill under the assumption that it reflected the former president’s priorities.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that Capito recently received an endorsement from Trump in her re-election bid. Some conservatives say her willingness to alter the bill so soon after that endorsement raises questions about her alignment with Trump’s agenda.
Capito has not yet detailed what changes the Senate may propose, but said discussions would continue throughout June.
The bill now heads to the Senate, where its fate—and the strength of GOP unity—remains uncertain.
