‘Great Victory’ : Trump After ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Clears Key US Senate Hurdle
US President Donald Trump’s ambitious tax and spending package, dubbed the ‘One Big Beautiful Act’, has narrowly passed a critical procedural vote in the Senate, moving the controversial legislation one step closer to his desk amidst a tense political showdown.
In a late-night session that saw high drama and last-minute negotiations, the Senate voted 51-49 to begin debate on the massive $3.8 trillion bill. The vote fell largely along party lines, with two Republican senators joining the unified Democratic opposition. US Vice President JD Vance was present to cast a tie-breaking vote if needed, a scenario that was narrowly avoided.
The procedural victory was immediately hailed by President Trump as a “GREAT VICTORY.” In a statement released by the White House, Trump lauded the efforts of key Republican senators. “Tonight we saw a GREAT VICTORY in the Senate with the ‘GREAT, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL,’ but, it wouldn’t have happened without the Fantastic Work of Senator Rick Scott, Senator Mike Lee, Senator Ron Johnson, and Senator Cynthia Lummis,” Trump said. “They, along with all of the other Republican Patriots who voted for the Bill, are people who truly love our Country!”
The sprawling 940-page legislation aims to make the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent, eliminate taxes on tips and overtime pay, significantly increase funding for border security and the military, and roll back green-energy tax credits enacted during the previous administration. The bill proposes to offset these costs by downsizing government social safety-net programs, including Medicaid.
The passage was far from certain, with intense lobbying from the White House to bring dissenting Republicans on board. Senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Rand Paul of Kentucky ultimately voted against the motion. Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who had initially expressed opposition, flipped his vote to a ‘yes’ after negotiations. Trump had earlier taken to his social media platform, Truth Social, to publicly pressure Tillis, stating the senator was “making a BIG MISTAKE.”
Democrats have vehemently opposed the bill, criticizing both its content and the speed at which it is being pushed through Congress. In a move to slow down the process, Democrats have demanded a full, out-loud reading of the lengthy document, a tactic that could delay the start of the debate by an estimated 12 to 15 hours.
Trump has set an aggressive deadline of July 4 for the bill to be passed and sent to him for signing, urging Republican lawmakers to forgo their holiday breaks. “The Congress should immediately pass this bill and send it to the President’s desk by July 4, 2025 to show the American people that they are serious about ‘promises made, promises kept’,” a White House statement declared, warning that a “failure to pass this bill would be the ultimate betrayal.”
Despite clearing this procedural hurdle, the bill’s final passage is not guaranteed. Republican leaders must now navigate a series of amendments and satisfy remaining holdouts who are demanding further changes to the legislation before a final vote on the Senate floor.
