Congress prepares for an initial vote today on President Trump's substantial legislation, colloquially known as his "splendid, impressive law."
It's crunch time for President Trump's much-talked-about tax and spending bill, code-named the "big, beautiful bill." The Senate has announced a key vote on the bill this weekend, but doubts cast a shadow over its success.
Senate Leader John Thune, the South Dakota Republican, confessed his uncertainty about garnering the necessary votes. The upper chamber is on pins and needles as they wait for decisions on controversial provisions' compliance with Senate reconciliation rules and await resolution of major policy disputes.
In a surprising move, Senate Republicans unveiled the final version of the bill late on Friday, leaving senators with just hours to digest the 1,000-page monstrosity before the initial procedural vote.
President Trump has been pushing Congress to send him this package by Independence Day, which includes tax cuts for the rich, funds for immigration and defense projects, and slashes to Medicaid and food assistance programs.
The Senate Parliamentarian has already ruled that some of the bill's most divisive sections violate the Senate rules governing the reconciliation process, which stipulate that legislation should only include provisions with direct impact on federal spending. The Parliamentarian's rulings forced the GOP to either drop or rewrite offending sections, creating a complex and uncertain bill.
As the Senate heads into the weekend for amendments and negotiations, disputes over Medicaid spending, state and local tax deductions, and a proposed debt ceiling increase linger among Republicans.
Back in May, house Republicans barely managed to pass a version of this monstrosity. If the Senate sees the bill through, House Republicans may be called back to Washington to vote on their colleagues' version. However, GOP lawmakers have warned that any major alterations could jeopardize the bill's passage when it returns to the House.
Washington Politics and Policy
United States Senate
Donald Trump
Caitlin YilekCaitlin Yilek is a politics reporter stationed in Washington, D.C. with ourNews.com. She previously worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a member of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation.
Enrichment Insights
- The tax and spending bill proposed by President Trump is anticipated to undergo a key vote in the Senate, possibly sealing its fate.
- The bill includes hefty tax cuts for the rich, spending on immigration and defense priorities, and cuts to social welfare programs like Medicaid and food assistance to offset costs.
- Some controversial provisions have already been deemed incompatible with the Senate reconciliation rules by the Senate Parliamentarian, leaving lawmakers scrambling for last-minute rewrites to ensure compliance.
- Major policy disputes, particularly over Medicaid spending and state and local tax deductions, remain among Republicans and could impact passage.
- If the Senate passes the bill, House Republicans may need to reconvene to approve it before President Trump signs it into law.
- As a crucial vote on President Trump's contentious tax and spending bill, known as the "big, beautiful bill," approaches, Senate debates over its compliance with Senate reconciliation rules and resolving major policy disagreements are ongoing.
- The bill, which includes tax cuts for the wealthy, funding for immigration and defense projects, and cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs, has faced challenges in adhering to Senate reconciliation rules due to objections from the Senate Parliamentarian regarding its controversial provisions.
- The Senate's decision to pass the bill could lead to revisions in the House, as lawmakers work to maintain the bill's integrity and address disputes over contents like Medicaid spending, state and local tax deductions, and a proposed debt ceiling increase.
