In a huge political victory for US President Donald Trump, the Republican Senate on Tuesday voted in favor of the long-awaited "One Big Beautiful Bill," bringing the bill a step closer to its conversion to law by the White House-set July 4 deadline.
The bill passed the Senate by a narrow margin, 51–50, following a tie-breaking vote by Vice President JD Vance. Three Republican senators, Susan Collins, Thom Tillis, and Rand Paul, defied party lines and voted against the bill.
The Republican Party's biggest legislative achievement before the pivotal 2026 midterm elections, the bill's passage will most likely galvanize the GOP base as the party struggles to hold onto its slender House majority, reports Xinhua.
The legislation contains provisions to make permanent the Trump-era 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, lower taxes on tips, and increase funding for the military and border security.
"Today was a historic day. and we're very excited to be a part of something that is going to make America stronger, safer and more prosperous," Senate Majority Leader John Thune said after the Senate vote.
Even with this breakthrough in the Senate, the bill has its fateful vote in the House of Representatives, possibly as soon as Wednesday. President Trump is positive about its future.
It's a tremendous bill. Everyone has something in it, and I believe it's going to travel extremely well in the House. In fact, I believe it will be easier in the House than it was in the Senate," Trump said to journalists.
Democrats still staunchly oppose the bill, deeming it as both fiscally reckless and socially destructive. They contend the tax measures disproportionately favor the wealthy at the expense of slicing essential funding for Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), traditionally known as food stamps.
There have also been concerns expressed about the effects of the bill on the national debt and health care coverage. An analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the changes included in the Senate version of the bill would add $2.4 trillion to the national debt over ten years, and increase the federal deficit by $3.3 trillion from 2025 through 2034.
Apart from its economic significance, the CBO report forecasted that the bill would cause 11.8 million Americans to lose health insurance by 2034—an effect that could trigger further pushback in the House debate.
With the July 4 deadline looming, everyone's now looking to the House to decide the bill's fate in what promises to be a high-stakes and highly partisan battle.
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