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As Senate debates Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' expert Gerald Gamm offers insight
President Donald Trump’s agenda hangs in the balance this week as Senate Republicans race to lock down the votes to pass their major tax and domestic policy bill by the president’s July 4 deadline. Republicans are holding firm against Democrats’ efforts to challenge elements of the measure, particularly its cuts to Medicaid and federal nutrition programs, as well as tax cuts for the wealthy. But the G.O.P. is also witnessing nagging reservations within its own ranks, as fiscal hawks are upset that the bill could pile more than $3 trillion onto the national debt. University of Rochester political scientist Gerald Gamm is watching the deliberations and political maneuverings closely, and is in a unique position to lend insight to reportage on the negotiations. Gamm is a co-author of Steering the Senate (Cambridge University Press, June 2025). The book has received high praise from a multitude of sources, and has been called "essential reading for all who care — or worry — about the past and future of institutional leadership and capacity on Capitol Hill," "the best book we have about the organizational development of the Senate," and "a masterpiece . . . that unearths new information on the emergence of leadership institutions and the role of parties and showing their relevance for the Senate of today." Gamm is available for interviews and can be contacted by email at gerald.gamm@rochester.edu or by clicking on his profile.
