Senators continued heated debate on Monday over the Big Beautiful Bill Senate vote with Alaska caught in the crossfire. Senator Lisa Murkowski remains a pivotal vote as the bill approaches a final decision, possibly late Monday evening.
With only 50 votes needed, GOP holdouts Rand Paul and Tom Tillis have already announced opposition. If Murkowski joins them, Vice President JD Vance could cast the tie-breaking vote. However, one more no could doom the legislation entirely.
Republicans want to pass the bill before the Fourth of July. The bill seeks to pay for earlier Trump-era tax cuts by slashing Medicaid and modifying SNAP or food stamps. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, more than one-third of Alaskans rely on Medicaid, and 35,000 could lose coverage.
GOP senators tried to include $6.7 billion in extra Medicaid funds for Alaska, but the Senate parliamentarian rejected it because of budget rule violations. The bill would also sift part of food stamp costs to states. Alaska could owe $37 million annually to maintain current aid levels.
A proposal to temporarily exempt Alaska and Hawaii from SNAP cost sharing was also likely to be removed, Senate staff said Monday. Alaska Senate Majority Leader Cathy Gisessel and House Speaker Bryce Edgmon urged Congress to reject the bill, warning of its local impact.
Still, some Alaska-specific benefits remain, including tax breaks for CDQ fishing groups and whaling captains and $7 billion for Coast Guard icebreakers. One of the icebreakers will be homeported in Juneau, drawing major federal investment into the capital city.
Murkowski continues pushing for amendments to protect solar and wind tax credits, critical to Alaska’s renewable energy projects. The bill would add a tax on energy projects using parts from China, complicating development plans.
