The United States Senate, controlled by Republicans, has advanced President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” to the next stage of discussion, increasing its chances of passing in the coming days. The legislation, Trump’s top priority, survived its first procedural hurdle with a 51 to 49 vote, with two Republican senators joining all Democrats in opposition.
Following several hours of negotiations, led by Republican officials and Vice President JD Vance, the vote occurred in the early hours of Saturday. Trump is keen to have the bill signed into law by July 4, America’s Independence Day. A senior White House source confirmed that he was monitoring the vote from the Oval Office.
The extensive 940-page “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” was released late on Friday, with senators still in the process of fully understanding its content. The bill introduces a $150 billion increase in military spending, additional funds for mass deportations, and financing for the construction of the border wall. These funds are offset by cuts to Medicare and the Clean Energy funding program. With a 53-47 Republican to Democrat ratio in the Senate, every Republican vote will be crucial for the bill’s passage.
Initially delayed, Saturday’s procedural vote, which signaled the start of the bill’s debate, was eventually passed with the support of most Republicans, excluding Rand Paul and Thom Tillis. Senators Rick Scott, Mike Lee, and Cynthia Lummis negotiated with Republican leaders late into the night for larger spending cuts.
Democratic leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of unveiling the bill in secrecy and rushing its passage before the public is fully aware of its contents. Schumer called for a complete reading of the text in the Senate, estimating this procedural step would take around 15 hours.
He criticized the proposed Medicaid cuts as the largest in history, totaling nearly a trillion dollars, aimed at tax breaks for the ultra-rich. The bill would also reverse many of the renewable energy tax incentives introduced by Joe Biden’s administration.
Analysts predict that Trump’s tax cut and spending plan would significantly increase the US government debt and could lead to a substantial redistribution of wealth from the poorest to the richest Americans. The bill is unpopular across various demographics, with extensive polling showing widespread opposition.
Elon Musk, who had a public dispute with Trump this month due to his criticism of the bill, reiterated his disapproval of the legislation. He described the Senate draft as “utterly insane and destructive,” warning of job losses and strategic damage to the United States. Musk also suggested that the bill would be “political suicide for the Republican Party.”
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/29/senate-republicans-vote-to-advance-trumps-big-beautiful-bill?traffic_source=rss
