Topline
The Senate voted to advance President Donald Trump’s signature budget and spending bill to the floor, clearing a key despite some pushback from hard-right fiscal conservatives as a new estimate Sunday suggests the Senate bill could add more than $3 trillion to the national debt.
President Donald Trump asked Congress to pass his spending bill before July 4.
Key Facts
The Senate voted to advance the bill late Saturday night after a 51-49 vote, with two Republicans (Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.) joining Democrats opposing the move.
The bill will now face more scrutiny with a floor debate and voting on amendments taking place before a final vote, though Trump immediately claimed victory after the procedural vote, calling it the vote a “GREAT VICTORY” in a post on Truth Social.
The amendment process, often called a “vote-a-rama,” could last hours as Democrats are expected to delay the vote as long as possible, with a final vote not likely until Monday.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., also introduced another hurdle Saturday after announcing he would require a “full reading” of all 940 pages of the bill from start to finish, a process that could take hours and was still ongoing Sunday morning.
Republicans have sparred over provisions linked to Medicaid cuts, an increased debt ceiling and tax deductions in recent weeks, with Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruling against Medicaid provisions that sought to pull the federal healthcare program from undocumented migrants and gender-affirming care, among other changes.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Sunday the bill would raise the national debt by at least $3.3 trillion over the next 10 years—underscoring a major concern among staunchly fiscal conservative lawmakers who are worried about the bill’s price tag.
Elon Musk, who had a recent falling out with Trump over the bill, weighed in on it Saturday afternoon, calling it “utterly insane and disgusting” and saying it “will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!”
Republicans can afford to lose three votes from party members in the Senate if all Democrats oppose the bill.
Sen. Susan Collins, a moderate Republican from Maine who still voted to advance the bill, said she would file several amendments, telling reporters Saturday “if the bill is not further changed, I would be leaning against the bill.”
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What’s In Trump’s Spending Bill?
Trump’s mega bill proposes $4 trillion in tax cuts and calls for an extension on the cuts made by Trump during his first term. It carves out $46.5 billion for the construction of the president’s border wall and over $15 billion for border security. Reductions to student loan repayment options are also included, as are new or more pricey fees for immigration services including work authorization applications. Americans will be able to deduct up to $25,000 in tip wages through 2028 under the bill, which also creates a $12,500 overtime deduction. Large cuts to Medicaid worth hundreds of billions of dollars were proposed in the House version of the bill as a way to offset the costs of the proposed tax cuts, but some of those efforts were blocked by the Senate parliamentarian this week. Conversely, child tax credits are slated to increase under the bill from $2,000 to $2,200 per child alongside inflation adjustments to the credit amount after 2025.
Who Has Opposed The Bill?
While Democrats are poised to completely oppose the bill, some Republicans have taken issue with its provisions and may not be on board for the vote. Paul told NBC News on Friday he would reconsider opposing the bill if the debt ceiling hike was removed. Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, had not explicitly said how they would vote prior to the Senate convening Saturday, though they have both actively opposed a provision in the bill that bars Medicaid funding from abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told Fox News on Saturday he would vote against the initial motion to debate the 940-page bill, saying he would need more time to review the updated version published Friday night—though he ended up voting to advance. Tillis said in a statement Saturday he will not support the bill over its changes to Medicaid.
Tangent
Tillis announced Sunday he would not seek reelection in 2026, following attacks from Trump over his vote. Tillis said in a statement the decision was “not a hard one” since he’ll be able to spend more time with his family and not have to focus on “navigating the political theatre and partisan gridlock in Washington.”
What To Watch For
Trump and Republican leadership have indicated their self-imposed July 4 deadline could be missed. The president, who threatened to pull Congress’ July 4 recess if the bill is not passed by then, said Friday the deadline is “not the end all.” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Friday it is possible the deadline is missed, but noted, “I don’t even want to accept that as an option right now.”
Further Reading
Trump’s Tax Cuts Would Raise Deficit By $2.8 Trillion, New Estimate Suggests (Forbes)
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