Senate Debates Trump Tax Cuts In Marathon Session/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The Senate labored through a marathon overnight session as Republicans tried to secure votes for Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill. Moderate GOP senators demand changes, while Democrats fiercely oppose cuts to social programs. A tense vote looms ahead.
Senate Trump Tax Bill Quick Looks
- Senate holds all-night session on Trump’s tax bill
- GOP leaders struggle to balance moderates and conservatives
- Bill includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, $1.2 trillion in spending cuts
- Medicaid, food stamps face significant reductions
- Elon Musk blasts Republicans over debt limit increases
- Democrats warn of millions losing health coverage
- Vice President Vance on standby to break a tie vote
- CBO estimates bill would raise deficit by $3.3 trillion
Deep Look
Senate Fights Through All-Night Session As GOP Seeks Support For Trump’s Sweeping Tax And Spending Bill
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a dramatic overnight session that stretched into Tuesday, the Senate was gripped by high-stakes negotiations as Republican leaders struggled to lock down support for President Donald Trump’s massive tax cuts and spending reductions, a legislative package that could reshape the nation’s economy and social safety net.
Dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” the 940-page legislation has become a defining priority for both Trump and GOP lawmakers, who are pushing to pass it by the president’s self-imposed July 4th deadline.
Republicans Caught Between Moderates And Hardliners
Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota spent the night brokering last-minute deals to bridge deep divides within his own party. Some Republicans are alarmed by the bill’s sharp cuts to Medicaid and social programs, fearing millions could lose health care coverage. Others, particularly fiscal conservatives, argue the bill doesn’t go far enough in slashing spending to curb the ballooning deficit.
Vice President JD Vance arrived at the Capitol overnight, prepared to cast a tie-breaking vote if needed, underscoring the razor-thin margin Republicans have to navigate.
Trump, rallying support online, proclaimed the legislation “perhaps the greatest and most important of its kind,” while Vance urged senators to “Pass the bill.”
High Drama And Long Hours
The Senate floor became a scene of quiet tension punctuated by bursts of frantic activity. Roll call votes droned on as senators huddled in back rooms, hashing out deals and airing grievances.
Two Republicans — Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky — have declared their opposition. Tillis opposes Medicaid cuts he fears will leave millions uninsured, while Paul balks at raising the debt ceiling by $5 trillion.
Attention zeroed in on key swing votes like Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine. Both are trying to shield their states from some of the harsher impacts of proposed cuts. Murkowski appeared deep in conversation with Thune and leadership throughout the night, emerging uncertain about her final vote.
Meanwhile, Paul proposed dramatically lowering the debt ceiling as a potential deal-sweetener, highlighting the challenge Thune faces in unifying his party.
Adding to the GOP headache, billionaire Elon Musk lashed out on social media, branding Republicans the “PORKY PIG PARTY!!” for including provisions that would raise the debt ceiling.
Democrats Mount Stiff Resistance
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York described Republicans as “in shambles” over a deeply unpopular bill. Democrats, unable to block the legislation outright, are deploying every procedural tactic to delay its progress.
A full reading of the bill consumed 16 hours, and Democrats have offered a cascade of amendments — most destined to fail — aimed at highlighting the bill’s impact on ordinary Americans.
New estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found that 11.8 million additional people would lose health insurance by 2034 if the legislation becomes law. The CBO projects the bill would add $3.3 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade.
Sen. Patty Murray of Washington slammed Republican accounting methods that classify Trump’s first-term tax cuts as “current policy,” arguing it’s deceptive to claim extending them carries no cost.
“That kind of magic math won’t fly with Americans trying to balance their own household books,” Murray said.
Key Provisions In The Bill
The Senate legislation calls for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, making permanent the reductions from Trump’s 2017 tax overhaul and introducing new breaks such as eliminating taxes on tips — a popular campaign promise from Trump.
At the same time, the bill proposes $1.2 trillion in spending cuts, targeting Medicaid, food stamps, and other social programs. It imposes stricter work requirements and reduces federal reimbursements to states, changes that alarm moderates like Murkowski and Collins.
Collins sought to double the bill’s proposed $25 billion rural hospital fund to $50 billion, funded by higher taxes on incomes over $25 million, but her amendment failed.
The bill would also strip billions in green energy tax credits, a move Democrats argue would devastate renewable energy investment across the country.
Separately, the legislation includes a $350 billion boost for border and national security efforts, including funding for deportations, financed partially through new immigrant fees.
Republicans Face Uncertain Path Ahead
House Speaker Mike Johnson has already signaled the legislation could encounter further turbulence when it returns to the House for final passage, hinting that divisions in the Republican ranks remain unresolved.
As senators pushed through amendment votes into the early hours, it became clear that despite growing fatigue, neither side was ready to back down. For Trump and GOP leaders, the clock is ticking as they attempt to steer one of the most consequential — and controversial — bills of his presidency through Congress before fireworks light up the sky on the Fourth of July.
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