A massive 1,000-page bill backing President Trump’s agenda narrowly cleared a key hurdle in the Senate on Saturday after hours of behind-the-scenes chaos and deep Republican divisions. The vote was 51–49, with two Republicans defecting and several others nearly tanking the bill over last-minute concerns.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) voted no, slamming the $5 trillion increase to the debt limit. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) also voted no, warning it would cost his state $38.9 billion in federal Medicaid money. “I cannot support this bill in its current form,” Tillis said. “This will force the state to make painful decisions like eliminating Medicaid coverage for hundreds of thousands.”
The vote stretched nearly three hours and was filled with suspense. For much of that time, key GOP senators were missing from the floor—including Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)—all of whom had raised concerns about the bill.
Senate Republican leaders looked visibly anxious as they waited. Senate Majority Leader John Thune stood at the back of the chamber, shifting his weight and quietly speaking with GOP heavyweights like Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.).
When Murkowski finally appeared, leadership quickly closed in. She spoke briefly with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), then returned to the floor and voted yes—clearing one obstacle.
The final holdouts—Lee, Scott, Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.)—emerged from Thune’s office just before the deadline, flanked by Vice President Vance. All four voted to advance the bill, including Johnson, who had previously pledged to vote no.
The bill had already suffered setbacks earlier in the week. A key Medicaid-related tax cap was struck down by the Senate parliamentarian, forcing GOP leaders to rewrite the section. And just before the vote, Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) threatened to sink the bill over a proposal by Lee to force the sale of millions of acres of public lands. He changed his vote only after party leaders promised a future vote to strip the land-sale language.
Despite the chaos, Thune called it a major win. “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver legislation to create a safer, stronger and more prosperous America,” he said.
The bill includes:
$160 billion for border security and immigration enforcement
$150 billion increase to the Pentagon’s budget
Major tax cuts, including eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay
Deductions for auto loan interest on U.S.-made cars
An extension and expansion of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts
President Trump has demanded the bill be sent to his desk by July 4.
But Democrats are furious. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) blasted Republicans for dropping a nearly 1,000-page bill late Friday and forcing a vote with almost no time for review. “Hard to believe, this bill is worse, even worse than any draft we’ve seen thus far,” he said. “It’s worse on health care. It’s worse on [the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program]. It’s worse on the deficit.”
Schumer accused Republicans of hiding the cost of the bill. “They’re afraid to show how badly this will increase the deficit,” he said. “Future generations will be saddled with trillions in debt.”
A preliminary Congressional Budget Office estimate shared by Democrats showed the bill could slash Medicaid by $930 billion—far more than the House version passed earlier this year.
Tillis warned that the Medicaid cuts alone would devastate his state’s hospitals and rural communities. “Even reducing critical services for those in the traditional Medicaid population,” he said.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a swing vote, said she voted to advance the bill only out of “deference” to GOP leadership. “Does not in any way predict how I’m going to vote on final passage,” she said. “There are some very good changes that have been made in the latest version but I want to see further changes.”
Billionaire and former Trump adviser Elon Musk tore into the bill online just before the vote. “The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country! Utterly insane and destructive,” Musk wrote on X. “It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future.”
