The Senate on Tuesday approved President Donald Trump’s signature budget legislation — a sweeping proposal he has dubbed the “big, beautiful bill.” Vice President JD Vance cast the tiebreaking vote after three Republicans joined all 47 Democrats in opposing the measure.
Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and Susan Collins of Maine voted against the bill. Collins and Tillis cited concerns over its proposed cuts to Medicaid, which total more than $1 trillion.
“I strongly support extending the tax relief for families and small businesses,” Collins said in a statement. “My vote against this bill stems primarily from the harmful impact it will have on Medicaid, affecting low-income families and rural health care providers like our hospitals and nursing homes.”
Paul said he voted no because projections show the bill would add to the federal deficit.
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Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, considered a key swing vote, ultimately backed the legislation.
The bill now moves to the House, where Republicans hold a narrow majority.
Senate Republicans overcame significant procedural hurdles to advance the bill, fending off Democratic efforts to delay or block it. Lawmakers voted on 46 proposed amendments during a marathon session that began Monday and stretched into Tuesday, in what was dubbed a “vote-a-rama.”
President Trump praised the Republican senators who voted for the bill, which he describes as a major policy win. He also had a message for House members, who will consider the revamped bill on Wednesday.
"To my GOP friends in the House: Stay UNITED, have fun, and Vote “YAY,” President Trump said on Truth Social. "GOD BLESS YOU ALL!"
The legislation includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, extending reductions first passed in 2017 during Trump’s first term. Without congressional action, those tax rates are set to expire at the end of the year.
The bill would also allocate $350 billion to bolster border security and immigration enforcement, a provision Vance highlighted while lobbying fellow Republicans for support.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the Senate’s version of the bill would add more than $3 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade.
