Debate is underway in the Senate on Trump's big bill, but overnight voting is delayed
WASHINGTON (AP) — Debate is underway in the Senate for an all-night session Sunday, with Republicans wrestlingPresident Donald Trump'sbig bill oftax breaks and spending cutsover mounting Democratic opposition — and even some brake-pumping over the budget slashing by the president himself. The outcome from theweekend of workin the Senate remains uncertain and highly volatile, and overnight voting has been pushed off until Monday. GOP leaders are rushing to meetDonald Trump's Fourth of July deadline to pass the package, but they barely secured enough support to muscle it past a procedural Saturday night hurdle in atense scene. A handful of Republican holdouts revolted, and it took phone calls from Trump and a visit from Vice President JD Vance to keep it on track. GOP Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolinaannounced Sundayhe would not seek reelection after Trump badgered him for saying he could not vote for the bill with its steep Medicaid cuts. Anew analysisfrom thenonpartisan Congressional Budget Officefound that 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law. It also said the package would increase the deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion over the decade. But other Senate Republicans, along with conservatives in the House, are pushing for steeper cuts, particularly to health care, drawing their own unexpected warning from Trump. "Don't go too crazy!" the president posted on social media. "REMEMBER, you still have to get reelected." All told, the Senate bill includes some $4 trillion in tax cuts, making permanentTrump's 2017 rates, which would expire at the end of the year if Congress fails to act, while adding the new ones he campaigned on, includingno taxes on tips. The Senate package would roll back billions ingreen energy tax creditsthat Democrats warn will wipe out wind and solar investments nationwide, and impose $1.2 trillion in cuts, largely toMedicaidandfood stamps, by imposing work requirements and making sign-up eligibility more stringent. Additionally, the bill would provide a $350 billion infusion forborder and national security, including for deportations, some of it paid for with new fees charged toimmigrants. If the Senate can pass the bill, it would need to return to the House.Speaker Mike Johnsonhas told lawmakers to be on call for a return to Washington this week. Democrats ready to fight all night Unable to stop the march toward passage of the940-page bill, the Democrats as the minority party in Congress is using the tools at its disposal to delay and drag out the process. Democrats forced a full reading of the text, which took some 16 hours. Then senators took over the debate, filling the chamber with speeches, while Republicans largely stood aside. "Reckless and irresponsible," said Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan. "A gift to the billionaire class," said Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Sen. Patty Murray, the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, raised particular concern about the accounting method being used by the Republicans, which says the tax breaks from Trump's first term are now "current policy" and the cost of extending them should not be counted toward deficits. "In my 33 years here in the United States Senate, things have never — never — worked this way," said Murray, the longest-serving Democrat on the Budget Committee. She said that kind of "magic math" won't fly with Americans trying to balance their own household books. "Go back home and try that game with your constituents," she said. "We still need to kick people off their health care — that's too expensive. We still need to close those hospitals — we have to cut costs. And we still have to kick people off SNAP — because the debt is out of control." Sanders said Tillis' decision not to seek reelection shows the hold that Trump's cult of personality has over the GOP. "We are literally taking food out of the mouths of hungry kids," Sanders said, while giving tax breaks to Jeff Bezos and other wealthy billionaires. GOP leaders unfazed Republicans are using their majorities to push aside Democratic opposition, and appeared undeterred, even as they have run into a series ofpolitical and policy setbacks. "We're going to pass the 'Big, beautiful bill," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the Budget Committee chairman. The holdout Republicans remain reluctant to give their votes, and their leaders have almost no room to spare, given their narrow majorities. Essentially, they can afford three dissenters in the Senate, with its 53-47 GOP edge, and about as many in the House, if all members are present and voting. Trump, who has at times allowed wiggle room on his deadline, kept the pressure on lawmakers to finish. He threatened to campaign aginst Tillis, who was worried that Medicaid cuts would leave many without health care in his state. Trump badgered Tillis again on Sunday morning, saying the senator "has hurt the great people of North Carolina." Later Sunday, Tillis issued a lengthy statementannouncing he would not seek reelectionin 2026. In an impassioned evening speech, Tillis shared his views arguing the Senate approach is a betrayal of Trump's promise not to kick people off health care. "We could take the time to get this right," he thundered. But until then, he said he would remain opposed. Democrats can't filibuster, but can stall Using a congressional process called budget reconciliation, the Republicans can rely on a simple majority vote in the Senate, rather than the typical 60-vote threshold needed to overcome objections. Without the filibuster, Democrats have latched on to other tools to mount their objections. One is the full reading of the bill text, which has been done in past situations. Democrats also intend to use their full 10 hours of available debate time, now underway. And then Democrats are prepared to propose dozens of amendments to the package, a process called vote-a-rama. But Republicans late Sunday postponed that expected overnight session to early Monday. GOP senators to watch As Saturday's vote tally teetered, attention turned to Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who was surrounded by GOP leaders in intense conversation. She voted "yes." Several provisions in the package are designed for her state in Alaska, but some were out of compliance of the strict rules by the Senate parliamentarian. A short time later, Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., drew holdouts Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming to his office. Vance joined in. Later, Scott said, "We all want to get to yes." ___ Associated Press writers Ali Swenson, Fatima Hussein and Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.
Debate is underway in the Senate on Trump's big bill, but overnight voting is delayed WASHINGTON (AP) — Debate is underway in the Senate...
