President Donald Trump scored another major legislative victory on Tuesday with the GOP-led Senate narrowly passing “One Big, Beautiful Bill” with the help of Vice President JD Vance, keeping alive the prospect of Congress getting the centerpiece measure to his desk by Independence Day.
The 900-page-plus bill, which aims to fulfill many of Trump’s spending and tax-cut goals for his second term, triumphed in a 51-50 vote after a marathon “vote-a-rama” session on amendments and intense deliberations between members during which leadership managed to win over just enough Republicans to get the measure over the finish line.
Because the bill is making its way through Congress through the budget reconciliation process, the Senate was able to bypass the 60-vote filibuster and pass the measure with only a simple majority. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), who raised concerns about Medicaid cuts, and Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Susan Collins (R-ME) voted against the bill with the Democrats and independents. Vance broke a 50-50 tie.
GOP leaders in the House and Senate have been racing to get the bill to Trump by his stated deadline of July 4. Topline items include extending the 2017 tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of this year, boosting funds for border security and the military, cutting red tape for American energy production, and raising the debt ceiling by trillions of dollars.
“Republicans, the One Big Beautiful Bill, perhaps the greatest and most important of its kind in history, gives the largest Tax Cuts and Border Security ever, Jobs by the Millions, Military/Vets increases, and so much more,” Trump said in an overnight post on Truth Social. “The failure to pass means a whopping 68% Tax increase, the largest in history!!!”
Now the bill is headed back to the House, where it initially passed in late May. The House Rules Committee is expected to meet as early as noon. If the panel is able to pass a rule for consideration of the bill, the full House will come into play. However, there will likely not be a quick resolution. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said last week that he would honor the customary 72 hours to allow members three days to review the text of the legislation. He also conceded that it is “possible” the bill’s timeline may slide past July 4, Trump’s stated deadline.
Many changes have been made over the past month. That is due in part to the Senate Parliamentarian determining that certain provisions did not adhere to the rules for the reconciliation process.
Sections that did not make the final cut included a 10-year artificial intelligence law moratorium on the states and a proposal from Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) to sell public lands.
Ultimately, the process could come down to a Friday showdown on the House floor. Fiscal hawks in the lower chamber have been raising concerns about the Senate version ballooning the national debt. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said in a post on X that the bill will be “JET FUEL” for the United States economy. “It makes the Trump tax cuts permanent, eliminates taxes on tips and overtime, provides tax relief for seniors, and slashes regulations to spur job creation and economic growth,” he said.
Trump has threatened to back primary challengers against Republicans who have opposed the “One Big, Beautiful Bill.” One of them, Tillis, announced on Sunday he would not seek re-election. Another is Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), whom billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk said he would support, while also warning Republicans who voted to pass the legislation that he would actively work to ensure they lose their next primary.