The U.S. Senate took a major step forward in advancing President Donald Trump’s ambitious legislative agenda Friday, passing his $3.3 trillion ‘big, beautiful bill’ after a contentious and marathon debate. The legislation, which includes sweeping tax cuts, deep spending reductions, and funding for the administration’s immigration priorities, cleared the Senate with the support of nearly all Republicans, despite opposition from the entire Democratic caucus. The bill now faces its next major hurdle in the House, where fiscal conservatives and moderate Republicans have already expressed concerns over its economic implications.
Vice President JD Vance played a crucial role in the Senate’s decision, casting the tie-breaking vote that allowed the bill to pass. The vote was made possible after extensive amendments were crafted to secure the support of key holdouts like Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Rand Paul of Kentucky. While most Senate Republicans supported the legislation, a small but vocal group, including Sens. Thom Tillis and Rand Paul, remained dissenting voices. The bill’s passage came after a dramatic and lengthy debate that stretched over the weekend and into Monday, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., attempting to delay the process while Republicans pushed to advance the legislation.
Republican leaders described the bill as a way to both prevent the expiration of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and to achieve deep spending reductions, with an estimated $1.5 trillion in cuts across various federal programs. However, the package has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats, who argue that it could cost millions of Americans their access to Medicaid benefits and add significantly to the federal deficit. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released initial assessments of the bill, with one analysis suggesting that it would add over $507 billion to the federal debt over the next decade, while another under current law projected a much higher figure of nearly $3.3 trillion in new spending.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., defended the bill, accusing Democrats of being hypocritical about spending priorities. He argued that Democratic leaders were always willing to cut defense spending but never wanted to see reductions in other areas. However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused President Trump of misleading the public about the nature of the bill, particularly regarding the proposed Medicaid cuts and the economic growth potential tied to the tax cuts. In one final act of defiance, Schumer succeeded in having the official title of the legislation altered, removing the reference to the bill as