Senate Moves Forward With Trump’s Bill

Image Credit: Getty Images

On Saturday, Senate Republicans proceeded with a vote on President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill”, though the giant tax cuts and spending measure bill still has many obstacles to pass. The bill cleared a key procedural vote of 51-49. Trump’s multitrillion-dollar bill would result in lower federal taxes and infuse more money into the Pentagon and border security agencies. But it would also downsize crucial government safety-net programs such as Medicaid. Approximately 72 million Americans rely on Medicaid, around one-fifth of the total US population. Trump has demanded to sign the bill on the Fourth of July, but the measure must go back to the House if it passes the Senate.

Trump later posted on social media, declaring a “GREAT VICTORY” after the bill cleared the Senate, offering praise and special attention to four key senators who shifted their votes. Vice President JD Vance traveled to the Capitol on Saturday evening to help Senate Majority John Thune convince the remaining holdouts. There were a number of GOP hardliners who demanded more changes to the bill. GOP leaders managed to win over Senator Lisa Murkowski by adding provisions in the latest version of the bill that specially benefited her state of Alaska. One of them is focusing on how a special group of whalers could deduct in whaling supplies.

Senate Democrats are forcing a major delta tactic to slow the passage of Trump’s agenda. They required an estimated 10 to 15 hours to read aloud the entire bill. After reading, there would be debate on the bill, and then a “vote-a-rama” would commence before a vote on the final passage. It is possible for there to be more changes to the bill, as Key Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said she wants changes to the bill through the amendment process, or she might vote against it in the end.