Tue, 01 Jul 2025

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 US Senate Republicans narrowly pass Trump's 'big, beautiful' bill

Vice-President JD Vance casts the tie-breaking vote after more than 24 hours of intense debate, sending the bill back to the House.
The US Senate has narrowly passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a tax and spending bill proposed by former President Donald Trump, with Vice-President JD Vance casting a tie-breaking vote after 24 hours of debate. The bill now heads back to the House, where it still faces opposition from both Democrats and Republicans who are concerned about its impact on the national deficit and social programs. The Senate voted 50-50, with three Republicans - Susan Collins, Thom Tillis, and Rand Paul - joining all Democrats in voting against the bill. However, Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski's support made the difference, despite her apparent discontentment with the process. Murkowski had initially withheld her support due to concerns about cuts to Medicaid in her state, but eventually voted for the bill, stating that it was "rushed" and under an "artificial timeline." She expressed hope that the House would revisit the bill and make further changes. The legislation aims to make permanent large tax cuts introduced by Trump during his first term, which are expected to result in a significant loss of revenue. To compensate for this, Republicans have proposed cutting spending in various programs, including food subsidies and healthcare for lower-income Americans. Despite the passage of the bill in the Senate, its fate remains uncertain as it must now be approved by the House before being sent to Trump's desk for signature. However, some Republicans are already signaling their opposition to the bill due to concerns about its impact on the national deficit and social programs. The House Freedom Caucus has stated that the Senate proposal could add $650 billion to the national deficit each year, while other Republicans are concerned about steeper cuts to Medicaid than previously agreed upon. Democrats have also criticized the proposed welfare cuts.
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