After several hours of deadlock, US Republicans in the Senate have narrowly passed Donald Trump’s massive spending and tax bill, “the One Big Beautiful Bill Act”. The recent move has cleared one of its key hurdles. The bill was enacted with Vice President JD Vance casting a tie-breaking vote after more than 24 hours of debate.
Now, the bill proceeds back to the House, or the lower chamber, where Democrats are present to give Republicans a tough time. House GOPs cleared an earlier version of the bill by a single-vote margin. On the other hand, the US president had given Congress a deadline of July 4 to send him a final version of the bill after approval, in order to sign it into law.
On Tuesday afternoon, Vance announced that the bill had been approved. This declaration was met with applause from Senate Republicans, whereas Democrats sank into their seats and shook their heads in disapproval.
Despite efforts to rally the party, Senate Majority Leader John Thune lost the support of three Republicans: Maine’s Susan Collins, North Carolina’s Thom Tillis, and Kentucky’s Rand Paul, who voted against the bill alongside all Democrats in the chamber.
Lisa Murkowski Dissatisfied with the Bill
Following days of negotiations, Republican leaders ultimately secured the backing of Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, who had previously withheld her support due to concerns over the impact of Medicaid cuts in her state.
Murkowski still appeared dissatisfied with the bill, even after voting in favor of it, describing the process as “rushed” and occurring under an “artificial timeline.” “I wrestled profoundly with the implications for the most vulnerable citizens in this country,” Murkowski remarked, adding that the legislative process was “probably the most difficult and agonizing 24-hour period” of her career.
“I hope that the House will review this comprehensively and recognize that we are not yet at the desired point,” she told reporters just outside the Senate chamber, moments after the vote. Murkowski’s support resulted in a final Senate vote tally of 50-50, prompting Vance to cast the decisive tie-breaking vote.
Trump Celebrated the Bill Passage
Trump expressed his approval for the passage of the legislation during a visit to a migrant detention facility in Florida. “It’s a great bill,” he remarked. “There is something for everyone.”
The legislation seeks to render permanent the substantial tax cuts, which included requiring Senate clerks to read all 940 pages of the bill aloud and initiating an extended debate over proposed amendments in a process known as a “vote-a-rama.”
The responsibility now rests with the House Republicans to endorse the changes enacted by the Senate before the president signed the bill into law.
According to the House Freedom Caucus, a right-wing group, the Senate proposal could add $650 billion (£472 billion) to the deficit annually. “That is not fiscal responsibility,” members of the caucus stated in a social media post on Monday. “It is not aligned with our agreements.”
Other House Republicans have voiced concerns that the Senate legislation might impose more severe reductions on the Medicaid health insurance program for lower-income Americans than previously approved.
