The Senate on Tuesday voted 51-50 in favor of the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” backed by President Trump, with the tie-breaking vote cast by Vice President JD Vance after a handful of Republicans sided with Democrats and Independents against it.
Republican Sens. Susan Collins, Thom Tillis and Rand Paul voted “no” against the legislation, while zero Democrats voted in favor of it.
The “Big, Beautiful Bill” will now head back to the House of Representatives for approval, following some alterations that came during a marathon weekend session that stretched into the early hours of Tuesday. President Trump has championed the bill — and found himself in a public war of words with former DOGE boss Elon Musk over it — and is now on the verge of scoring a big political victory as he enters the sixth month of his second term in office.
The bill includes cuts to electric vehicle subsidies and Medicaid, as well as extends the tax cuts from President Trump’s first term in office. It also earmarks billions of dollars for defense and border security.
Last-minute changes to the bill include removing the “AI moratorium” that would have placed a 10-year ban on states’ ability to regulate artificial intelligence.
Congressional Budget Office Director Phillip Swagel said last week that the tax portion of the bill would increase the deficit by about $3.5 trillion over the next decade.
Senate Democrats, including Chuck Schumer, have railed against the legislation, with Schumer saying President Trump has been “lying” about cuts to Medicaid. “The American people will not forget what Republicans do in this chamber today,” he said on Tuesday.
Republican leadership, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have said they are optimistic they can get the legislation in front of President Trump for him to sign by Friday.
“We’re talking to the House,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a Republican from Oklahoma, according to Fox News. “We know they’re going to have some issues over there, just like we had some issues when it came over here, too. But we think we’re going to pass a bill that they can pass.”
