Some Republican lawmakers are starting to regret voting for President Donald Trump’s megabill now that they’re hearing about some of its provisions for the very first time, NBC News reported.
Sahil Kapur, NBC News senior national political reporter, said one of the problematic provisions is a “tax hike on gamblers” that one professional sports better called “potentially catastrophic for the industry.”
The clause “would reduce the tax deduction on wagering losses from 100% to 90% starting in 2026,” Kapur said in a report for “Politics Now.
“Long story short, gamblers could be stuck with a tax bill even if they have zero net winnings in a year.”
Kapur said several lawmakers who voted for the legislation now want to repeal it.
“That includes the House’s top tax writer, Congressman Jason Smith (R-MO), who told me this tax hike is a mistake by the Senate and that it needs to be undone,” Kapur said.
In addition, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) called the provision “unfair” and claimed that “most Republicans didn’t even know this was in the bill when they voted to pass it,” according to the report.
The Senate passed its final version of Trump’s 2026 budget legislation at the beginning of July. The vote was 50-50, with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie.
Republican senators who voted against the bill were Thom Tillis (R-NC), Rand Paul (R-KY), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Susan Collins (R-ME).