Republicans are planning to make their marquee tax bill the centerpiece of their 2026 election messaging. But given that GOP senators acknowledge the party hasn’t effectively communicated what’s in their signature package to voters, it may be a risky proposition.
The One Big Beautiful Bill — which Republicans are increasingly referring to as the Working Families Tax Cut — features a litany of border security, military spending, health care reform and tax policies. It’s a wide-ranging GOP wish list that leadership painstakingly pushed across the finish line in July.
But Republicans are concerned about the onslaught of Democratic attacks that slam the bill as a draconian Medicaid cut. While the GOP struggled to cobble together votes over the summer, Democratic groups have spent millions of dollars on negative TV ads defining the legislation, President Donald Trump’s signature accomplishment so far in his second term.
Multiple polls have shown the OBBB is underwater with voters. That’s bad news for every vulnerable Republican heading into November.
Senators sound off. Republicans still stand by the legislation, but they acknowledge it hasn’t been sold well.
Sen. Jim Justice (R-W.Va.) hailed the OBBB as an “unbelievable” piece of legislation equivalent to Trump “pitching nine consecutive perfect games.”
“If we have done that, how can we be concerned about the midterms? We ought to win by the biggest landslide in history,” Justice said. ”We are not going to do that, because the Democrats are really good at their messaging.”
What’s more, lawmakers say the scale of policies covered in the legislation can be difficult to explain to voters.
“When you start talking about no tax on tips, people are very excited about that. That’s where we focus,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) said. “There’s a lot of other wonderful stuff in it, but it’s very hard to explain,” Mullin added.
Republicans are clamoring for Trump to engage more in domestic politics as the fall approaches. Trump marked his return to the trail last month with a Pennsylvania rally that started with an affordability focus but later turned into a litany of grievances.
“I hope the president helps to sell it,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said about the reconciliation package.
Some Republicans want more legislative wins heading into the fall campaign.
Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), who’s facing a competitive reelection campaign in 2026, said he wants to see regulatory reform passed to drive down the cost of housing.
“We did no taxes on tips, no taxes on overtime, no taxes on Social Security. That’s all really good,” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said. “Now we ought to do no tax on health care.”
“I would welcome a second reconciliation package,” Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) said. We’ll note GOP leadership has poured cold water on the prospect of another reconciliation bill.
