Senate Oks Advancing ‘big Beautiful Bill,’ Republican Who Voted No Won’t Run Again

The Senate took different measurement toward passing what President Donald Trump calls his “big, beautiful bill” aft a late-night ballot connected Saturday, June 28. However, pinch a looming deadline and immoderate Republicans against nan legislation, it’s still not a done deal.

One of nan Republicans who voted not to beforehand nan bill, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, announced connected Sunday, June 29 that he will not beryllium seeking re-election aft facing attacks from Trump.

“In Washington complete nan past fewer years, it’s go progressively evident that leaders who are consenting to clasp bipartisanship, discuss and show independent reasoning are becoming an endangered species,“ Tillis said successful a statement, according to Politico.

The Associated Press elaborate what it called “tense scenes” successful nan enclosure during nan much than three-hour play erstwhile voting came to a standstill and senators had negotiations and backstage meetings. Two Republicans, Tillis and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, yet rejected nan mobility to proceed pinch nan measure successful what was different a party-line vote. Vice President J.D. Vance was astatine nan Capitol connected Saturday nighttime truthful he could break a imaginable tie.

“VERY PROUD OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TONIGHT. GOD BLESS YOU ALL!” Trump wrote connected societal media aft nan Senate approved advancing nan measure pinch a 51-49 vote. The measure implements cardinal parts of Trump’s agenda, including extending his 2017 taxation cuts from his first word and much money for a separator wall and migration detention centers.

Before nan vote, nan Senate parliamentarian looked astatine nan measure to spot if it would break nan “Byrd rule.” The rule, named aft precocious Sen. Robert C. Byrd, a Democrat from West Virginia, lets nan parliamentarian emblem immoderate provisions arsenic “non-budget related,” which would require it to get 60 votes.

While immoderate parts of H.R. 1 were recovered not to comply pinch nan Byrd rule, Republicans were capable to revise and reinstate those proposals. These see Medicaid cuts that had initially been removed by nan parliamentarian earlier.

Doubts astir nan bill

According to Congressional Budget Office estimates, 10.9 cardinal group would not person wellness attraction nether nan type of nan measure passed by nan House. A caller study released connected Sunday, June 29 shows that nan Senate’s type could origin 11.8 cardinal Americans to go uninsured successful 2034.

In a connection explaining his “no” ballot connected nan bill, Thillis said “the Senate type of nan One Big Beautiful measure contains important changes to Medicaid that would beryllium devastating to North Carolina, and I cannot support it.”

“It would consequence successful tens of billions of dollars successful mislaid backing for North Carolina, including our hospitals and agrarian communities,” Tillis said. “This will unit nan authorities to make achy decisions for illustration eliminating Medicaid sum for hundreds of thousands successful nan description population, and moreover reducing captious services for those successful nan accepted Medicaid population.”

Trump slammed Tillis connected Truth Social for these remarks, calling him a “talker and complainer, NOT A DOER!”

“He’s moreover worse than Rand “Fauci” Paul!” Trump added.

Even Elon Musk, a erstwhile White House typical worker pinch nan Department of Government Efficiency, said “the latest Senate draught measure will destruct millions of jobs successful America and origin immense strategical harm to our country!”

Formerly considered “holdouts,” Republican Sens. Ron Johnson, from Wisconsin; Mike Lee of Utah; Florida’s Rick Scott; Josh Hawley of Missouri and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming yet voted “yes” connected proceeding pinch nan bill.

What comes next?

NPR reported that Senate Democrats asked for a afloat reference of nan bill, which is almost 1,000 pages, connected nan floor, per Senate rules. Then, some sides would get 10 hours each to statement nan bill. After that, senators would commencement a bid of amendment votes, an arena known arsenic “vote-a-rama.”

Trump has group a deadline of July 4 for nan bill’s passage.