The United States Senate on Tuesday narrowly approved US President Donald Trump’s massive tax cuts and spending bill, following an intense overnight session that saw Republicans scrambling to secure enough support within their own party ranks. Vice President J.D. Vance cast the tie-breaking vote to pass the legislation, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” after a 50-50 deadlock.
✅ PASSED: @VP casts the deciding vote as the Senate approves the One Big Beautiful Bill — moving it back to the House and one step closer to President Trump’s desk. pic.twitter.com/zAcMgrxS0z
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 1, 2025
Republican Senators Thom Tillis (North Carolina), Susan Collins (Maine), and Rand Paul (Kentucky) opposed the bill, highlighting deep divides within the GOP. The Associated Press (AP) reported that the outcome capped a tense weekend on Capitol Hill, with Trump’s flagship legislative proposal hanging by a thread until the final moments.
Medicaid Cuts Spark Friction Within GOP
The Senate’s amended version now heads back to the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson had previously warned senators against deviating from the House-approved draft. Significant changes, especially to Medicaid, have heightened concerns of further hurdles. According to AP, Republican leaders, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, spent hours seeking last-minute compromises to placate moderates worried about millions potentially losing healthcare, while appeasing conservatives demanding deeper cuts.
Trump, speaking before leaving the White House for Florida, admitted the complexity of the bill, saying, “I don’t want to go too crazy with cuts. I don’t like cuts.”
The drawn-out vote-a-rama, meant to process a barrage of amendments, devolved into a round-the-clock effort by GOP leaders to hold their fragile coalition together. As reported by AP, grim-faced lawmakers huddled behind the scenes. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska became a key target of leadership efforts; she spent over an hour in intense discussions with Republican leaders while scribbling notes as senators debated changes to food stamp cuts and federal hospital reimbursements.
Meanwhile, Senator Rand Paul floated a dramatic proposal to reduce the bill’s planned $5 trillion debt ceiling increase, a potential compromise after meeting with Thune.
Democrats Slam Bill, Elon Musk Joins Fray
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (New York) lambasted Republicans, stating, “Republicans are in shambles because they know the bill is so unpopular.” A Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis, cited by AP, predicted that 11.8 million Americans would lose insurance by 2034 under the bill, while the deficit would swell by nearly $3.3 trillion over the next decade.
On social media, billionaire Elon Musk attacked Republicans for including the debt ceiling hike, branding them the “PORKY PIG PARTY!!” in his post.
Key Provisions And Failed Amendments
According to AP, the Senate bill makes Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent and introduces new measures, such as eliminating taxes on tips, totalling $4.5 trillion in tax breaks. It also slashes green energy incentives, imposes $1.2 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and food stamps by tightening eligibility and work requirements, and allocates $350 billion for border security, partially funded by new fees on immigrants.
Several senators’ efforts to amend the bill failed, including Collins’ proposal to double the rural hospital fund to $50 billion, offset by higher taxes on annual incomes above $25 million. However, Murkowski reportedly succeeded in protecting some food stamp benefits for Alaskans.
Democrats’ attempts to derail the bill included reading the entire 940-page text aloud over the weekend. One amendment that did succeed, with bipartisan support, removed a controversial provision banning states from regulating artificial intelligence if they accepted certain federal funding.
Senator Patty Murray of Washington criticised the GOP’s accounting practices. She said their claim that Trump-era tax cuts were “current policy,” which let them exclude extension costs from deficit calculations, relied on “magic math.” She argued that Americans balancing their household budgets would not accept such fuzzy accounting.
