The Senate has been working into the night on the “vote-a-rama” surrounding President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which is being subjected to a series of amendment proposals before the chamber casts a final vote.
The 940-page policy package, which maps out Trump’s domestic agenda and seeks to slash welfare funding, narrowly passed the House of Representatives in May and scraped through the Senate 51-49 on Saturday after Majority Leader John Thune and Vice President JD Vance persuaded most Republican dissenters to fall in line.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has warned the bill will add an estimated $3.3 trillion to the $36.2 trillion national debt over the next decade, which Democrats hope will give conservatives cause for concern.
Trump has urged his party to push through the bill regardless as a self-imposed July 4 deadline looms.
Former Trump ally Elon Musk has expressed outrage at the “utterly insane” bill, saying passing it amounts to inviting a future of “DEBT SLAVERY.”
Senators began the process at 9am ET on Monday, following a marathon weekend in which the megabill was read aloud in its entirety over 16 hours.
Should it finally pass the Senate, the bill will be returned to the House for approval.
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Key Points
- Tax and spending legislation will ramp up national debt and kick 11.8m off Medicaid
- Trump rejoices in ‘grandstanding’ rebel senator revealing he will not seek re-election
- These 5 GOP lawmakers threaten McCain-like ‘thumbs-down’ moment on Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill'
- Elon Musk reiterates call for new political party, slamming Freedom Caucus
Another failed Murkowski defection, as GOP rejects SNAP carveout for vets
08:45
,
Josh Marcus
Senate Republicans have once again rejected an attempt featuring the GOP’s Lisa Murkowski to ally with Democrats to preserve a policy priority.
Late on Monday, the GOP shut down the Alaska senator’s vote, along with fellow Republican Dan Sullivan, to exempt veterans, homeless people, and foster youth from proposed work requirements to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the food program often called food stamps.
Text chains and sneaky cigars: How Congress endures an all-night vote-a-rama
07:59
,
Josh Marcus
How do a group of mostly silver-haired lawmakers endure an all-night, make-or-break voting session?
Turns out, a bit like university students.
As deliberations wore on after sunset on Monday in the Senate, members of Congress and their staff were reportedly spotted chowing down on pizza, guzzling energy drinks, and even smoking cigars in various corners of the Capitol complex.
Behind the scenes, there was also reportedly some dismay that the all-night amendment session had actually weakened Donald Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill spending package.
“On the text chains, on the phone calls, everyone is complaining,” an anonymous House Republican told The Hill. “There’s a few little provisions people will say something positive about, but no one is happy with the Senate version.”
“It’s amazing to a lot of us — how did it get so much f***ing worse?” the lawmaker added.
Why Trump's Big, Beautiful Bill is a major win-loss for the GOP
07:00
,
Josh Marcus
On Sunday, Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, announced that he would not seek re-election. This came after numerous threats from President Donald Trump because of Tillis’ opposition to the so-called “One Big, Beautiful” bill.
Trump had even floated the idea of endorsing a primary challenger against Tillis. But when The Independent caught up with Tillis, he seemed sanguine about the whole affair.
“I respect President Trump, I support the majority of his agenda, but I don't bow to anybody when the people of North Carolina are at risk and this bill puts them at risk,” he told The Independent.
Trump’s decision to bash a senator from a state he won and Republicans need to keep could be seen as reckless. But it also jeopardized Republicans’ chances of holding onto a Senate seat Tillis consistently won by narrow margins.
Why Elon Musk is going nuclear (again) at Trump
06:00
,
Josh Marcus
Elon Musk promised to bankroll primary challenges against Republican lawmakers who vote to pass legislation representing a sizable portion of Donald Trump’s political agenda on Monday as the Senate debated its final passage.
The Tesla CEO and former DOGE overlord blew up at Trump and the Republican Congress over the bill earlier this year. Musk, along with Republicans like Rand Paul in the Senate, believe that the bill’s spending cuts are insufficient to fund its other provisions and point to projections of trillions added to the national debt over the next decade as reason it should be opposed.
But despite failing to meet the goals of deficit hawks to be deficit-neutral or even cut the national debt, Donald Trump and Republican leadership are pressing forward with the legislation. The bill is set to extend the 2017 GOP tax cuts as well as fund a massive surge of mass deportation measures for the federal government, including the hiring of 10,000 new ICE agents. To fund the plan, the GOP plans to impose work requirements and other cuts on Medicaid and food stamp (SNAP) programs.
On Monday, Musk vowed to fund Republican primary challengers against any senator or House member who voted for the legislation.
John Bowden reports.
Next up for Trump: a Netanyahu visit, a Florida visit, and (hopefully) a Big, Beautiful Bill
05:00
,
Josh Marcus
Never one to have a dull moment, Donald Trump’s schedule is packed with major news happenings in the coming days.
First, the Senate may pass his Big, Beautiful Bill spending and tax package sometime late tonight or early tomorrow.
Then, the president will head to Florida on Tuesday proper for a visit to a new migrant detention center dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” where Trump may celebrate BBB’s massive infusion of billions of dollars in new immigration enforcement funds to federal law enforcement.
Finally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Washington early next week, the Times of Israel reports.
The Girl Squad blocks Ted Cruz on AI
03:54
,
Eric Garcia
A compromise deal among Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, and Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee to fix the 10-year moratorium on AI ultimately fell through.
Boom. New Blackburn amendment with Cantwell to strip Cruz 10 year AI moratorium. pic.twitter.com/dPy9HwySbm
— tricia enright (@triciaenright) July 1, 2025
Shortly thereafter, Sen. Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington State and Cruz's counterpart on the commerce committee, announced a deal with a cosponsorship from Sen. Susan Collins, a crucial swing vote.
The initial 10-year moratorium on states regulating AI caused Republicans, including some House members who voted for the bill, tons of heartburn.
Democratic ex-governor Roy Cooper may jump into race to replace Tillis in North Carolina
03:00
,
Josh Marcus
Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, is reportedly considering jumping into the ring to seek the Senate seat of outgoing Republican Thom Thillis, who announced his decision not to seek reelection over the weekend.
"Governor Cooper continues to strongly consider a run for the Senate and will decide in the coming weeks," Morgan Jackson, Cooper's top political adviser, told Axios.
He could face off against Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, who is also reportedly considering a run.
Elon Musk's tweet-a-rama about the vote-a-rama
02:40
,
Josh Marcus
Elon Musk continues to voice his disapproval over the GOP megabill, which he argues will kill US renewable energy development and saddle the economy with growing debt.
He’s been expressing his criticisms in a series of tweets.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 30, 2025
If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 30, 2025
Our country needs an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE.
They just pretend to be two parties.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 30, 2025
It’s just one uniparty in reality. https://t.co/NEcLJNPXxm
Wise words https://t.co/XN0qzuHmW7
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 30, 2025
Blackburn-Cruz deal on AI provision falls apart: statement
02:20
,
Josh Marcus
Just a day after saying she reached a deal with her GOP colleague Ted Cruz, Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee announced on Monday the agreement was off regarding artificial intelligence provisions in the Republican megabill.
Originally, Cruz and Blackburn agreed on proposing a “temporary pause” banning states from regulating AI for the next five years, in exchange for access to hundreds of millions in AI funding incentives.
“For as long as I’ve been in Congress, I’ve worked alongside federal and state legislators, parents seeking to protect their kids online, and the creative community in Tennessee to fight back against Big Tech’s exploitation by passing legislation to govern the virtual space,” Blackburn said in a statement to The hill. “While I appreciate Chairman Cruz’s efforts to find acceptable language that allows states to protect their citizens from the abuses of AI, the current language is not acceptable to those who need these protections the most. This provision could allow Big Tech to continue to exploit kids, creators, and conservatives. Until Congress passes federally preemptive legislation like the Kids Online Safety Act and an online privacy framework, we can’t block states from making laws that protect their citizens.”
Trump hawks presidential cologne line as Senate labors over spending bill
02:00
,
Josh Marcus
Donald Trump’s domestic policy agenda is facing one of its most critical moments so far, as the Senate considers final passage of his Big, Beautiful Bill spending package.
That didn’t stop the president on Monday from advertising a new business line: Trump Fragrances.
“They’re called ‘Victory 45-47’ because they’re all about Winning, Strength, and Success — For men and women,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, in yet another blending of his political and business roles. “Get yourself a bottle, and don’t forget to get one for your loved ones too. Enjoy, have fun, and keep winning!”
Will Senate vote stretch into Tuesday? 'Ask Mr. Thune,' Schumer says
01:40
Progress on the Senate’s “vote-a-rama” for Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill spending package is moving slowly, raising the possibility the deliberations continue into the wee hours of Tuesday morning.
When will the process finally end? According to Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, only the Republican Majority Leader, John Thune, really knows, and even that’s not so certain.
“Ask Mr. Thune,” the New York Democrat told reporters on Monday evening. “He’s the one having the problems,”
Four amendments to watch during the vote-a-rama
01:20
,
Eric Garcia
The Senate's vote-a-rama to pass President Donald Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill" is underway.
Because of the bizarro rules that come with budget reconciliation — the process Republicans are using to pass the bill by a simple majority and sidestep a Democratic filibuster — senators can file an unlimited number of amendments, hence the "rama" in the vote-a-rama.
Typically, these votes serve one of a handful of purposes: First, to put forth a messaging amendment to shame the other side; second, to push in a policy that didn't make it into the final bill because of the Byrd rule; or third, to allow an errant member to say they fought for a policy they know won't pass.
The Senate's parliamentarian applies the Byrd Rule — named for the late majority leader Robert Byrd — to determine if a piece of the legislation passes the strict criteria. If it does not, then the majority can offer it on the floor, but it needs 60 votes to stay in. All of this can create for a rapid fire series of call-and-response amendments.
Below are four amendments to keep an eye on:
Renewable energy: One major sticking point between Republicans is that some of them actually like the renewable energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act. The final text of the bill aggressively rolls back the renewable energy tax credits for plants put "in service" after December 31, 2027.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski told The Independent, "I don’t want to see us backslide on clean energy."
As a result, she and Iowa's Republican Sens. Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley want to propose an alternative amendment that is not as aggressive. But Grassley said "we need to find an offset" to pay for the credit.
More aggressive Medicaid amendments: No part of the bill has caught as much flack from Democrats as the Medicaid policies, such as the work requirements and taxes on providers like hospitals and nursing homes.
But for some Republicans, that's not enough. Specifically, their sticking point is the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare. Under the law, the federal government will cover 90 percent of the cost for states that expand Medicaid eligibility to 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Line.
Both red and blue states have done it. But Sen. Rick Scott of Florida has an amendment that would end the new eligibility for beneficiaries after 2030 while grandfathering eligible recipients who enrolled before 2030.
This would have sweeping implications since many states have "trigger laws" where they would be forced to pull back their money. This is a must-pass for some of the fiscal conservatives like Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming. All three of them hail from states that did not expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. But Republicans from states that expanded Medicaid might find it tougher to stomach.
A ban on gender-affirming care: Republicans have made policy restricting access to gender-affirming care their main sticking point ever since Trump beat Kamala Harris with his famous "Kamala is for They/Them" ad, which hit Harris for providing health care for undocumented immigrants in prison.
Initially, the House version would ban coverage of gender-affirming care for Medicaid and CHIP recipients who are minors. But a last-minute deal before it passed the House struck the term "for minors," meaning it would ban Medicaid and CHIP from covering gender-affirming care for anyone. However, the Senate Parliamentarian found this did not comply with the Byrd Rule.
Still, Republicans included it in the final text of the bill. This means Democrats will raise a point of order to trigger the 60-vote threshold to keep it in. Sen. Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Finance Committee, whose staff prepared arguments before the parliamentarian, told The Independent he would raise a point of order, saying, “This is a private choice for adults. It should belong to them."
The fight for rural hospitals aka the Collins Kickback: As always, it comes back to health care. Some Republicans warn that the cap on provider taxes will limit states' ability to raise matching dollars to receive Medicaid dollars. Hospitals warn that this could cause rural hospitals to close.
To tide over some Republicans, the bill includes a $25 billion fund to shore up rural hospitals. But for Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who hails from a blue state with large rural populations and is up for re-election, that may not be enough. Her amendment to up the fund to $50 billion. But this might make the fiscal conservatives queasy.
Senate rejects attempts from Dems and Collins, Murkowski to protect Planned Parenthood funding
01:00
,
Josh Marcus
Senate Republicans on Monday shot down an attempt from Democrats and Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska to remove a provision from the Big, Beautiful Bill that would strip Planned Parenthood of its ability to receive Medicaid funding.
The GOP blocked the attempt 51 - 49.
“It will take another step toward enacting Republicans’ plan for a backdoor nationwide abortion ban. How does it do this? By defunding Planned Parenthood,” Washington Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat, said of the vote.
When a Big, Beautiful Bill meets a Big, Ugly decline in the US dollar
Tuesday 1 July 2025 00:40
,
Josh Marcus
The Trump administration has framed its Big, Beautiful Bill domestic tax and spending package as a way to deliver an economic win to both regular Americans and the economy at large, using measures like extending the 2017 GOP tax cuts and cutting Medicaid spending.
Whether that will be the case if it passes remains to be debated, but whatever the impact, the bill will be landing at a complicated time for the US economy.
As The New York Times notes, the US dollar is off to its worst start in half a century, with the currency weakening more than 10 percent compared to the currencies of major US training partners.
38 arrested protesting Big, Beautiful Bill
Tuesday 1 July 2025 00:20
,
Josh Marcus
Protesters appeared in- and outside the Capitol on Monday to protest Donald Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill spending package, which is currently undergoing a “vote-a-rama” session in the Senate.
The U.S. Capitol Police told The Associated Press 38 people were arrested in the demonstrations, including inside the Capitol rotunda at an intersection near the legislature.
Trump drops lawsuit against Iowa pollster and newspaper over pre-election survey that favored Kamala Harris
Tuesday 1 July 2025 00:00
,
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has dropped his lawsuit against famed Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer, the Des Moines Register, and the newspaper’s publisher Gannett, over Selzer’s survey that found Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris with a surprising lead over Trump in Iowa during the final days of the 2024 election.
Justin Baragona reports.
Did Trump's bill just put the Senate in play for Democrats?
Monday 30 June 2025 23:45
,
Josh Marcus
On Sunday, Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, announced that he would not seek re-election. This came after numerous threats from President Donald Trump because of Tillis’ opposition to the so-called “One Big, Beautiful” bill.
Trump had even floated the idea of endorsing a primary challenger against Tillis. But when The Independent caught up with Tillis, he seemed sanguine about the whole affair.
“I respect President Trump, I support the majority of his agenda, but I don't bow to anybody when the people of North Carolina are at risk and this bill puts them at risk,” he told The Independent.
Trump’s decision to bash a senator from a state he won and Republicans need to keep could be seen as reckless. But it also jeopardized Republicans’ chances of holding onto a Senate seat Tillis consistently won by narrow margins.
Read Eric Garcia’s full analysis.
‘Our fiscal house is basically on fire’
Monday 30 June 2025 23:30
,
Oliver O'Connell
New estimates from the Congressional Budget Office have revealed that Senate Republicans’ version of Donald Trump’s spending package would lead to more Americans losing health coverage than the version of the president’s flagship legislation that passed the House last month.
The legislation would push 11.8 million Americans off insurance by 2034, according to the report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
Over the same period, federal spending on Medicaid, Medicare and Obamacare would be cut by $1.1 trillion. More than $1 trillion of the cuts would be made to Medicaid.
Gustaf Kilander has the details.
Lara Trump is ‘taking a strong look’ at running for now-open North Carolina Senate seat
Monday 30 June 2025 23:05
,
Oliver O'Connell
Months after saying she “would seriously consider” taking over Marco Rubio’s Florida Senate seat, only to instead jump over to Fox News to host a weekend show, Lara Trump is now “taking a strong look” at running for Senate from North Carolina after incumbent Republican Thom Tillis announced he was not seeking re-election.
Amid a falling out with President Donald Trump over the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” which Tillis says he opposes due to the massive cuts in Medicaid, the conservative lawmaker announced he would be stepping down next year rather than seek another term.
Justin Baragona reports.
These 5 GOP lawmakers threaten McCain-like ‘thumbs-down’ moment on Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill'
Monday 30 June 2025 22:40
,
Oliver O'Connell
The beginning of the Senate’s marathon “vote-a-rama” session is underway as the upper chamber debates final passage of the so-called “one big, beautiful bill” addressing several of Donald Trump’s legislative priorities.
It was still unclear by Monday morning whether the vote would pass.
John Bowden and Eric Garcia report from Capitol Hill.
Trump touts big bill in mass call with faith leaders
Monday 30 June 2025 22:29
,
AP
Trump spoke to thousands of faith leaders in a conference call Monday, the first in a series of regular calls that the White House expects him to hold with religious leaders periodically.
Trump, who created a White House faith office this year, spoke to between 8,000 and 10,000 leaders of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faiths on the call, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
During the call, according to the official, Trump spoke for about 15 minutes and touted provisions in his big tax breaks and spending cuts bill, like the boost to the child tax credit, the Israel-Iran ceasefire, and African peace deals he brokered, and the pardons he issued for anti-abortion activists.
Elon Musk vows to primary every Republican who votes for Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful’ bill
Monday 30 June 2025 22:15
,
Oliver O'Connell
Elon Musk promised to bankroll primary challenges against Republican lawmakers who vote to pass legislation representing a sizable portion of Donald Trump’s political agenda on Monday as the Senate debated its final passage.
John Bowden reports.
Trump rants about AT&T service after tech issues delay his call with faith leaders
Monday 30 June 2025 21:56
,
Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump blamed AT&T for faulty service on Monday after he experienced technical difficulties trying to connect on a conference call with faith leaders.
On Truth Social, the president summoned the “Boss” of AT&T to “get involved” in the issue after claiming the telecommunications company was “unable to make their equipment work properly,” which delayed the Faith Leaders Conference Call.
Ariana Baio has the story.
Musk threatens Republican lawmakers with primary challenges for supporting Trump's spending bill
Monday 30 June 2025 21:37
,
Oliver O'Connell
Elon Musk is threatening members of Congress who support Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill with primary challenges.
He wrote on X: “Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame!
“And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.”
Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 30, 2025
And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.
Trump flying down to open Florida’s ‘Alligator Alc
Monday 30 June 2025 21:28
,
Oliver O'Connell
President Donald Trump is planning to visit a site in the Everglades where Florida officials want to detain migrants, which they have nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis previewed the president’s visit for the formal opening, saying the site “will be ready for business” by Tuesday.
Read on...
‘Vote-a-rama’ drama — what you need to know
Monday 30 June 2025 21:10
,
Oliver O'Connell
The beginning of the Senate’s marathon “vote-a-rama” session is underway as the upper chamber debates final passage of the so-called “one big, beautiful bill” addressing several of Donald Trump’s legislative priorities.
It was still unclear by Monday morning whether the vote would pass.
Eric Garcia and John Bowden report from Capitol Hill.
Thune, Johnson not at the White House after all
Monday 30 June 2025 21:00
,
Oliver O'Connell
Despite assertions from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt that the president held a meeting with the top two congressional leaders on Monday, the claim has been directly refuted by sources within Congress.
A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader John Thune confirmed the South Dakota Republican was not present at the White House on Monday, nor did he have any plans to attend. Similarly, Speaker Mike Johnson was also not at the executive mansion.
Thune is currently overseeing the "v