The US Senate on Tuesday passed President Donald Trump’s flagship spending bill after a marathon voting session that lasted more than 18 hours. The vote came after a prolonged "vote-a-rama" during which senators offered and debated numerous amendments to the nearly 1,000-page legislation. VP JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote.
The bill, which Trump calls the "One Big Beautiful Bill", aims to extend his first-term tax cuts at a cost of $4.5 trillion, increase military spending, and fund mass deportations and border security. The legislation is expected to add over $3.3 trillion to the national debt over the next decade, as per a report by the news agency AFP.
The Senate passage is seen as a significant step for the Trump administration, which is pushing to have the legislation signed into law by Friday, ahead of US Independence Day celebrations. However, the bill now faces a separate vote in the House of Representatives, where several Republican lawmakers have expressed concerns.
Senators have been divided over provisions in the bill that would strip around $1 trillion in subsidised health care from millions of low-income Americans. Independent analysts, as quoted by AFP, say nearly 12 million people could lose health coverage by 2034 due to proposed cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.
Earlier, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt urged Republicans to "stay tough and unified" as the Senate slogged through the amendment process.
Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticised the pace of proceedings, saying, "They've got a lot of members who were promised things that they may not be able to deliver on. And so they're just stalling. But we're just pushing forward amendment after amendment. They don't like these amendments. The public is on our side in almost every amendment we do."
Senate Democrats focused their amendments on opposing cuts to health care, food aid programmes, and clean energy tax credits.
Despite strong opposition from Democrats, Trump maintained support within the Senate, where Republicans hold a narrow majority. Republican Majority Leader John Thune could only afford to lose one more vote after conservatives Rand Paul and Thom Tillis publicly opposed the bill.
The bill’s next hurdle is the House of Representatives, where it may face stronger resistance. Some fiscal conservatives argue the bill does not cut spending enough, while moderate Republicans are worried about the impact on Medicaid.
The bill has also led to internal rifts within the Republican camp. Trump’s former adviser Elon Musk, who resigned as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in May, renewed his criticism of the bill. As voting began, Musk said, "debt slavery" and called for the creation of a new political party.
He added, "Republicans campaigned on reduced federal spending only to vote for the bill," and said he would work to challenge lawmakers who supported the package.
A vote in the House could take place as early as Wednesday.
The 'Big, beautiful bill' includes a total of $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, based on the latest analysis by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). It makes permanent the tax rates introduced in Trump’s 2017 legislation, which are set to expire at the end of the year unless Congress approves. The bill also introduces new tax measures Trump had proposed during his campaign, including eliminating taxes on tips.
The legislation rolls back billions of dollars in green energy tax credits. Democrats argue this move will significantly impact investments in wind and solar energy across the country.
The bill outlines $1.2 trillion in spending cuts, mainly affecting Medicaid and food assistance programs. These cuts would come through new work requirements for able-bodied individuals, including some parents and older adults, stricter eligibility rules, and adjustments to how the federal government reimburses states.
In addition, the bill allocates $350 billion for border and national security, including funding for deportation operations. A portion of this would be financed through new fees levied on immigrants.
The bill, which Trump calls the "One Big Beautiful Bill", aims to extend his first-term tax cuts at a cost of $4.5 trillion, increase military spending, and fund mass deportations and border security. The legislation is expected to add over $3.3 trillion to the national debt over the next decade, as per a report by the news agency AFP.
The Senate passage is seen as a significant step for the Trump administration, which is pushing to have the legislation signed into law by Friday, ahead of US Independence Day celebrations. However, the bill now faces a separate vote in the House of Representatives, where several Republican lawmakers have expressed concerns.
Senators have been divided over provisions in the bill that would strip around $1 trillion in subsidised health care from millions of low-income Americans. Independent analysts, as quoted by AFP, say nearly 12 million people could lose health coverage by 2034 due to proposed cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.
Earlier, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt urged Republicans to "stay tough and unified" as the Senate slogged through the amendment process.
Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticised the pace of proceedings, saying, "They've got a lot of members who were promised things that they may not be able to deliver on. And so they're just stalling. But we're just pushing forward amendment after amendment. They don't like these amendments. The public is on our side in almost every amendment we do."
Senate Democrats focused their amendments on opposing cuts to health care, food aid programmes, and clean energy tax credits.
Despite strong opposition from Democrats, Trump maintained support within the Senate, where Republicans hold a narrow majority. Republican Majority Leader John Thune could only afford to lose one more vote after conservatives Rand Paul and Thom Tillis publicly opposed the bill.
The bill’s next hurdle is the House of Representatives, where it may face stronger resistance. Some fiscal conservatives argue the bill does not cut spending enough, while moderate Republicans are worried about the impact on Medicaid.
The bill has also led to internal rifts within the Republican camp. Trump’s former adviser Elon Musk, who resigned as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in May, renewed his criticism of the bill. As voting began, Musk said, "debt slavery" and called for the creation of a new political party.
He added, "Republicans campaigned on reduced federal spending only to vote for the bill," and said he would work to challenge lawmakers who supported the package.
A vote in the House could take place as early as Wednesday.
The 'Big, beautiful bill' includes a total of $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, based on the latest analysis by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). It makes permanent the tax rates introduced in Trump’s 2017 legislation, which are set to expire at the end of the year unless Congress approves. The bill also introduces new tax measures Trump had proposed during his campaign, including eliminating taxes on tips.
The legislation rolls back billions of dollars in green energy tax credits. Democrats argue this move will significantly impact investments in wind and solar energy across the country.
The bill outlines $1.2 trillion in spending cuts, mainly affecting Medicaid and food assistance programs. These cuts would come through new work requirements for able-bodied individuals, including some parents and older adults, stricter eligibility rules, and adjustments to how the federal government reimburses states.
In addition, the bill allocates $350 billion for border and national security, including funding for deportation operations. A portion of this would be financed through new fees levied on immigrants.
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