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With the clock ticking toward President Donald Trump’s July 4 deadline, the Republican-controlled Senate began the final phase of debate Monday on the sweeping 940-page tax and spending bill that would reshape federal policy on taxes, health care, defense, and immigration.
Dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill,” the legislation was already fraying Republican unity as the Senate launched a “vote-a-rama” — a rapid-fire amendment process where senators can offer unlimited changes.
GOP Leaders Struggle to Hold the Line
After a narrow 51-49 vote to advance the package late Saturday, Republican leaders must retain 50 of their 53 votes to pass the bill via the budget reconciliation process, which avoids the 60-vote filibuster threshold.
Two Republicans, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), have broken ranks. Paul objects to the bill’s $3.3 trillion projected debt increase, while Tillis blasted the deep Medicaid cuts during an emotional floor speech Sunday.
“So what do I tell 663,000 people in two years or three years when President Trump breaks his promise by pushing them off Medicaid?” Tillis said. Hours earlier, he announced he would not seek re-election in 2026.
Moderate Republicans Waver as CBO Sounds Alarm
Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) supported advancing the bill but now express serious reservations. Collins has criticized the distributional impact of tax cuts, while Murkowski has raised concerns over rural health care access.
A trio of fiscal hawks — Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) — are demanding amendments to lower the bill’s deficit impact, estimated by the Congressional Budget Office at $3.3 trillion over 10 years.
The CBO also projects 11.8 million people would lose health coverage by 2034 under the legislation.
What’s in the Bill?
The bill’s key components include:
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$3.8 trillion in tax cuts, including the permanent extension of 2017 Trump tax breaks
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A debt ceiling increase of $5 trillion to avert default by August
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New tax breaks for tips and overtime pay, and a $6,000 deduction for older adults
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An expansion of the SALT deduction cap to $40,000 for five years
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$150 billion in new military funding, plus billions for mass deportation efforts
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Steep Medicaid and SNAP cuts, with new work requirements and co-pays
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Rollbacks of clean energy incentives
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A tax break for Alaskan whaling captains, likely aimed at swaying Murkowski
GOP leaders also used a controversial new “current policy baseline” rule, approved 53-47 Monday, to make the bill’s costs appear $3.8 trillion lower — a move Democrats say sets a dangerous precedent for future budget debates.
“This is the nuclear option,” warned Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), calling it “a budgetary illusion that will backfire.”
Democrats Mount Symbolic Resistance
Senate Democrats lack the votes to block the bill outright but are using the amendment process to highlight its most unpopular provisions.
“Republicans are ripping away health care from millions to fund tax breaks for the wealthy,” a spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said.
On Saturday, Democrats delayed proceedings by forcing a full reading of the bill — adding 16 hours of procedural delays.
Trump’s Influence and House Next Steps
Vice President JD Vance, a former senator, has been personally lobbying GOP holdouts, while Trump spent the weekend golfing and hosting lawmakers at his resort.
If passed, the Senate bill heads to the House, which approved its own version by a single vote in May. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told lawmakers to be ready to return as early as Tuesday for a final vote, aiming to get the bill to Trump’s desk by Friday.
“The permanent tax relief included in our bill means Americans keeping more of their hard-earned money,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), echoing Trump’s framing of the bill as a middle-class tax cut.
But with only three defections allowed in the House, concerns remain. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and several moderate Republicans have signaled opposition over Medicaid cuts and SALT changes.
What’s Next?
With tensions high and a July 4 deadline looming, the GOP’s marquee legislative push is perilously close to failure — or success. The coming hours will test the party’s unity and Trump’s influence, as the Senate races through amendments and prepares for a decisive vote later this week.
