United States (US) senators engaged in a marathon session of amendment votes on Monday as Republicans aimed to pass Donald Trump’s flagship spending bill, a highly unpopular package designed to cut social welfare programs and increase the national debt by an astonishing $3 trillion.
The president’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” seeks to extend his expiring first-term tax cuts at a cost of $4.5 trillion, enhance military spending, and fund his plans for extensive mass deportations and border security.
However, senators, who are considering the upcoming 2026 midterm congressional elections, are divided over provisions that could strip around $1 trillion in subsidized healthcare from millions of the poorest Americans and add over $3.3 trillion to the nation’s already significant budget deficits over the next decade.
Trump hopes to have the package ready for his signature by the time Independence Day celebrations begin on Friday.
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Progress in the Senate slowed dramatically on Monday, with no end in sight as the so-called “vote-a-rama” — a session that allows members to propose unlimited amendments before a bill can move to final passage — entered its 13th hour.
With little indication that the pace would pick up before a final floor vote, which could be delayed until the early hours of Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt urged Republicans to “stay tough and unified.”
In the past, vote-a-ramas have wrapped up in as little as nine or ten hours, and Democrats accused Republicans of intentionally prolonging the process.
“They have many members who were promised things they may not be able to deliver. So they’re just stalling,” Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters. “But we are pushing forward, amendment after amendment. They don’t like these amendments, and the public is on our side with almost every amendment we propose.”
Given Trump’s strong influence over the party, he is expected to eventually secure the support he needs in the Senate, where Republicans hold a slim majority and can counteract the anticipated unified Democratic opposition.
This would be a significant victory for the Republican leader, who has faced criticism for advancing many of his priorities through executive orders that bypass congressional scrutiny.
However, Senate approval is only half the battle, as the 940-page bill will then go to a separate vote in the House of Representatives, where several members of the narrow Republican majority have indicated they may oppose it.
