July 1, 2025 — In a razor-thin 51-50 vote, the U.S. Senate passed President Donald Trump’s sweeping legislative package on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, after a grueling 27-hour “vote-a-rama” session, marking a significant victory for the president’s second-term agenda.
The nearly 1,000-page bill, which includes permanent extensions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, $150 billion in military spending, funding for mass deportations, and Medicaid reforms, now heads to the House of Representatives, where it faces uncertainty due to Republican divisions and fiscal concerns.
Vice President JD Vance cast the decisive tie-breaking vote, overcoming opposition from three GOP senators and all Democrats.
The Senate’s passage of the bill, initially dubbed “The One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” before Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) successfully struck the title for violating the Congressional Budget Act’s Byrd Rule, followed a marathon amendment process.
The “vote-a-rama,” a Senate procedure allowing unlimited amendment proposals, saw 49 votes, surpassing the previous record of 40 set in 2008.
The session, which began Monday morning and ended just after noon on Tuesday, tested senators’ endurance, with Republicans relying on pizza in the cloakroom and Democrats using the process to spotlight controversial provisions.
The bill, passed via budget reconciliation to avoid the 60-vote filibuster threshold, aims to cement Trump’s campaign promises.
Key provisions include a $6,000 tax deduction for seniors with incomes up to $75,000 (or $150,000 for married couples), phasing out at higher income levels and expiring in 2028; permanent extension of the 2017 tax cuts; $150 billion for Pentagon funding; and significant allocations for border security and immigration enforcement.
It also introduces Medicaid work requirements and eligibility restrictions, alongside cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and green energy tax credits.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) praised the bill as a “strong product” to “supercharge the economy” and prevent the expiration of Trump’s first-term tax cuts.
However, Schumer called it a “big, ugly betrayal,” arguing it prioritizes tax breaks for the wealthy while slashing healthcare and nutrition programs, projecting that “tens of millions will lose health insurance.”
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GOP Fractures and Democratic Resistance
The vote exposed divisions within the Republican Party. Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Susan Collins (R-Maine) voted against the bill, joining all Democrats.
Collins cited concerns over Medicaid cuts, which the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates could lead to 11.8 million Americans losing health insurance by 2034.
Paul opposed the bill’s $3.3 trillion debt increase over a decade, driven by $4.5 trillion in tax cuts offset by only $1.2 trillion in spending reductions.
Tillis expressed unease with the bill’s fiscal and policy scope.
To secure passage, GOP leaders offered concessions, including doubling a rural hospital stabilization fund to $50 billion, pushed by Collins, and delaying SNAP work requirement start dates for states like Alaska, as advocated by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).
Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), initially a holdout, supported the bill after securing an amendment tightening Medicaid eligibility for non-disabled, childless adults.
Democrats, unified in opposition, used the vote-a-rama to propose amendments highlighting the bill’s cuts to social programs and tax benefits for high earners.
Four motions to let the 2017 tax cuts expire for incomes above $10 million, $100 million, $500 million, and $1 billion failed, reinforcing their argument that the bill favors the wealthy.
“Republicans are taking away your health care to give a tax break to billionaires,” Schumer told reporters post-vote.
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The Fiscal and Political Challenges Ahead
The bill now returns to the House, where it passed an earlier version in May by a 215-214 margin.
The Senate’s version, which adds roughly $1 trillion more to the deficit than the House’s, has raised concerns among fiscal conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus, who may oppose it.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) vowed to act swiftly to meet Trump’s July 4 deadline, stating, “The American people gave us a clear mandate, and we intend to deliver.”
However, the narrow House majority and GOP dissent pose significant hurdles.
The CBO projects the bill will increase the national debt, currently at $36 trillion, by $3.3 trillion over 10 years.
Industry advocates also warn that cuts to green energy tax credits could stifle renewable energy development, despite the removal of a proposed excise tax on solar and wind projects after negotiations with Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Murkowski.
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Public and Political Fallout
Trump celebrated the Senate vote as a “great victory” for his America First agenda, but the bill has sparked polarized reactions.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk, recently at odds with Trump, criticized the debt increase and threatened to unseat lawmakers who supported it, hinting at forming an “America Party.”
Posts on X reflect divided sentiment, with some users praising the tax cuts and others condemning cuts to social programs. One user, @CaptMarkKelly, posted, “Rich people won and working families lost,” while @emrwilkins noted the bill’s narrow passage and upcoming House challenges.
As the House prepares to debate the Senate’s version, the bill’s fate hinges on Republican unity and Trump’s ability to rally his party.
With the July 4 deadline approaching, the coming days will determine whether this legislative gamble delivers on its promises or falters under internal and public scrutiny.
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