'Big, beautiful' budget bill latest: Senate preps for all-night voting session
Pres. Trump wants Big Beautiful Bill passed by Friday
President Trump says he wants his spending bill, titled the "Big Beautiful Bill," passed by July 4. Political Science Professor Grant Reeher breaks down what the bill’s passage will ultimately depend on.
The Senate will work through the weekend to try and pass President Donald Trump’s "big, beautiful" budget bill by his July 4 deadline.
The rare weekend session could be a make-or-break moment for the GOP, which has invested much of its political capital on Trump’s signature domestic policy plan. With the narrow Republicans majorities in the House and Senate, leaders need almost every lawmaker on board to ensure passage.
Here is the latest:
Procedural vote stalls
9:45 p.m. EDT - A key procedural vote that dragged on for more than two hours was at a standstill. Vice President JD Vance arrived at the Capitol to break a potential tie.
Senate may read full text of bill
7 p.m. EDT - Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York is expected to call for a full reading of the text in the Senate, which would take hours.
What’s the status of Trump’s spending bill?
Big picture view:
Republicans are using their majorities in Congress to push aside Democratic opposition, but they have run into a series of political and policy setbacks. Not all GOP lawmakers are on board with proposals to reduce spending on Medicaid, food stamps and other programs as a way to help cover the cost of extending some $3.8 trillion in Trump tax breaks.
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Timeline:
The 940-page bill was released shortly before midnight Friday. Senators were expected to take a procedural vote Saturday to begin debate on the legislation, but the timing was uncertain and there is a long path ahead, with at least 10 hours of debate time and an all-night voting session on countless amendments.
A Capitol Police officer stands outside the US Capitol building on June 27, 2025, in Washington, DC. Senate Republicans want to begin a weekend of votes on the tax relief and spending cuts package -- which US President Donald Trump sees as crucial to
Senate passage could be days away, and the bill would need to return to the House for a final round of votes before it could reach the White House.
What they're saying:
"It's evolving," said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., as he prepared to close up the chamber late Friday.
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"We can get it done," Trump said Friday in a social media post. "It will be a wonderful Celebration for our Country."
What’s in the ‘big, beautiful’ budget bill?
The backstory:
The legislation is an ambitious but complicated series of GOP priorities. At its core, it would make permanent many of the tax breaks from Trump's first term that would otherwise expire by year's end if Congress fails to act, resulting in a potential tax increase on Americans. The bill would add new breaks, including no taxes on tips, and commit $350 billion to national security, including for Trump's mass deportation agenda.
'Big, beautiful bill' July 4 deadline approaches
LiveNOW's Andrew Craft speaks with National Journal congressional reporter Savannah Behrmann on where the 'big, beautiful bill' stands as Congress works to vote on it by the July 4 holiday.
Republicans suffered a series of setbacks after several proposals were determined to be out of compliance by the chief arbiter of the Senate's rules. One plan would have shifted some food stamp costs from the federal government to the states; a second would have gutted the funding structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
But over the past days, Republicans have quickly revised those proposals and reinstated them.
The final text includes a proposal for cuts to a Medicaid provider tax that had run into parliamentary objections and opposition from several senators worried about the fate of rural hospitals. The new version extends the start date for those cuts and establishes a $25 billion fund to aid rural hospitals and providers.
The other side:
The spending cuts that Republicans are relying on to offset the lost tax revenues are causing dissent within the GOP ranks. Some lawmakers say the cuts go too far, particularly for people receiving health care through Medicaid. Meanwhile, conservatives, worried about the nation's debt, are pushing for steeper cuts.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he is concerned about the fundamentals of the package and will not support the procedural motion to begin debate.
"I'm voting no on the motion to proceed," he said.
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Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Republicans are rushing to finish the bill before the public fully knows what’s in it.
"There’s no good reason for Republicans to chase a silly deadline," Schumer said.
Bill includes tax cuts for the rich, tax hikes for the poor
By the numbers:
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has said that under the House-passed version of the bill, some 10.9 million more people would go without health care and at least 3 million fewer would qualify for food aid. The CBO has not yet publicly assessed the Senate draft, which proposes steeper reductions.
Top income-earners would see about a $12,000 tax cut under the House bill, while the poorest Americans would face a $1,600 tax increase, the CBO said.
The Source: This report includes information from The Associated Press and previous LiveNow from FOX reporting.