Senate Republicans are currently under pressure to advance a budget bill critical to President Donald Trump’s agenda before a self-imposed deadline of July 4th. The legislation, referred to as the “Big Beautiful Bill,” is aimed at extending an extensive $3.8 trillion in tax cuts that have been integral to Trump’s economic policy. As the clock ticks down, Senate leadership is striving to mobilize their members for an initial vote, following the release of a lengthy, 940-page bill shortly after midnight.
In the days leading up to the vote, there has been a significant divide among Republican senators regarding the proposed cuts to welfare programs necessary to finance the tax breaks. The House of Representatives had managed to pass the sprawling measure by a narrow margin just last month, which adds further urgency to the negotiations in the Senate.
The White House has been actively supporting the bill, sending out a memo that highlighted the importance of its passage and warned against the potential consequences of failure. The administration refers to such a failure as “the ultimate betrayal” to the party’s constituents. Despite this pressure, Senate Majority Leader John Thune described the plans for the vote as “aspirational.” Senator Ron Johnson from Wisconsin has publicly stated his disapproval of the current draft, citing insufficient time to digest the new version, which he received in the early hours of Saturday.
In addition to Johnson, two other Republican senators, Thom Tillis from North Carolina and Rand Paul from Kentucky, have expressed their reservations about the bill. This situation has raised concerns among party leadership, as they can only afford three defections in the tightly contested Senate, where Republicans hold 53 seats.
Attention has turned towards centrist senators such as Lisa Murkowski from Alaska and Susan Collins from Maine, who are viewed as pivotal votes in this ongoing saga. Collins has signaled potential support for advancing the bill for debate, but her ultimate vote on the legislation’s passage remains uncertain.
To address some of the reservations from more moderate members of the party, the latest iteration of the bill includes various amendments designed to appease dissenters. For instance, there are provisions aimed at increasing funding for rural hospitals, a move made to placate senators concerned about their constituents. Furthermore, the bill raises the cap on State and Local Tax (SALT) deductions from $10,000 to $40,000 for married couples earning up to $500,000, but it imposes a five-year sunset clause, after which the limit would revert to the original cap.
The legislation also features modifications to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), offering a temporary exemption for Alaska and Hawaii from certain funding obligations. These adjustments follow advocacy from the two states’ senators. Core components of the bill, such as the extension of tax cuts initially passed in 2017, remain, along with new proposals like a tax deduction for Social Security benefits and the elimination of taxes on overtime and tips.
However, the bill also contains contentious measures aimed at Medicaid, a program that provides healthcare to vulnerable populations. Critics, particularly Democrats, have highlighted these provisions, warning that they could strip coverage from millions of Americans. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that about 7.8 million people could become uninsured due to the proposed cuts.
Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington, has been active on social media, denouncing the bill as containing “the largest healthcare cuts in history.” As the Senate Republicans work feverishly to unify their party and achieve passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill,” the trajectory remains uncertain, hinging on the decisions of a handful of pivotal senators and the broader political climate leading up to Independence Day.
