The Long Fight: Reversing the Budget Bill

When I take office in the United States Senate in January 2027, I will not walk in blind or unprepared.

Montanans have made clear what they expect from their representatives. The recent Republican budget bill that increases the debt while removing essential services is deeply unpopular across the state.

How do I know? I'm on the ground talking to Montana voters every day.

Folks tell me they want practical leadership, real accountability, and a government that works for ordinary people. Undoing the damage of the unpopular Republican budget, passed on July 4, 2025, will be one of my first priorities.

Congressional repeal is one route. It involves introducing new legislation to remove or amend specific provisions of the bill. This legislation must pass both the House and the Senate and be signed by the president or survive a veto override. This path is direct but can take years and often stalls without broad bipartisan support.

A faster and more strategic route lies in budget reconciliation. This process allows changes to federal tax and spending policy through a simple majority vote in the Senate. It’s how the bill was passed in the first place. If structured carefully, a reconciliation bill in 2027 could begin to reverse tax breaks that benefit the wealthiest Americans. The Senate Parliamentarian must approve each provision under the Byrd Rule, which limits reconciliation to measures that directly affect federal revenue or outlays.

Annual appropriations bills provide another tool. Through targeted riders attached to these must-pass bills, Congress can temporarily halt or reshape parts of the 2025 budget bill. For example, appropriations language can block funding for certain Medicaid restrictions, or restore specific rural development programs. These changes are temporary, but they can provide relief while permanent solutions are pursued.

The Senate’s oversight power can also help. Committees can investigate how agencies are implementing the law and pressure administrators to revise harmful rules. In some cases, regulations can be modified or reversed without new legislation, especially when public pressure supports the change.

State-level action may also help blunt the bill’s worst impacts. Attorneys general from several states have already filed lawsuits against portions of the law. Congress can support these legal efforts by highlighting real-world harm and protecting whistleblowers who expose failures on the ground.

Undoing harm is not just about tactics. It is about building coalitions, listening to the public, and fighting for what matters. The Republican reconciliation bill stripped resources from rural health care, weakened food security programs, and rewarded political donors while punishing working families.

Restoring fairness will take strategic planning and political courage.

There’s no magic switch. Real change comes from steady, deliberate effort. In the Senate, I intend to use every available lever: legislation, budget tools, hearings, legal support, and public pressure. Montanans expect no less. We will not accept a government that enriches the few and abandons the rest.

We will fight for better.