The US Senate on Monday launched debate and voting on a sweeping Republican spending bill nicknamed the “big beautiful bill” after weeks of bitter negotiations that exposed fractures within the party.
The nearly 1,000-page bill would extend $3.8 trillion in tax cuts backed by President Donald Trump, slash funding for welfare programs like Medicaid, and authorise $5 trillion in new federal borrowing. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates it would add $3.3 trillion to the national debt.
The Senate opened debate on Sunday in a narrow 51-49 procedural vote. Two Republicans Senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Rand Paul of Kentucky joined all Democrats in opposition.
Tillis, who announced his retirement shortly after the vote, accused his colleagues of abandoning campaign promises and caving to political pressure. Paul cited concerns about skyrocketing debt and healthcare cuts.
The Senate will now enter a marathon “vote-a-rama” on amendments, with up to 20 hours of debate scheduled. A final vote is expected late Monday or early Tuesday. Republicans, who hold a 53-seat majority, can only afford three defections before needing Vice President JD Vance to break a tie.
The bill’s passage in the Senate would send it back to the House of Representatives where a razor-thin Republican majority faces internal dissent over the Senate’s revisions. A House vote could come as early as Wednesday.
At the heart of the legislation is a GOP drive to extend Trump-era tax cuts while overhauling social programs to offset costs. Critics say millions of low-income Americans could lose health insurance, while the wealthiest would gain the most in tax relief.
The bill includes: A tax deduction for Social Security benefit. Elimination of taxes on tips and overtime pay, Work requirements for Medicaid and food stamps, Caps on state Medicaid financing, A $10 billion rural hospital relief fund
The CBO’s warning about rising debt comes as the US Treasury reports a national debt of $36 trillion. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has urged Congress to act on the debt ceiling by mid-July or risk a default by August.
Trump has demanded the bill be passed by the 4 July holiday. He hailed Sunday’s Senate motion as a “great victory,” though the final legislative hurdle may prove even tougher as House Republicans weigh political fallout from the sweeping cuts.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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