Photo: Getty Images North America
Trump's "big beautiful bill" is headed to the House after Republicans narrowly passed the measure in the Senate.
On Tuesday (July), the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a GOP-backed mega-bill on tax and spending, passed in the Senate 50-50 with Vice President JD Vance's tie-breaking vote after over 24 hours of debate and negotiations, per CNN.
Trump's sprawling domestic policy bill proposes major cuts to food assistance and Medicaid to offset the costs for tax cuts and other GOP priorities, including border security and deportation.
On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune garnered the support of Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, who was withholding her vote over concerns of the bill's impact on Medicaid and SNAP. However, three Republicans, Maine's Susan Collins, North Carolina's Thom Tillis, and Kentucky's Rand Paul, joined all Democratic senators in voting against the bill. The 50-50 vote split prompted Vance to cast to the tiebreaker to push the bill forward.
The legislation will now head back to the House, where Republican lawmakers will again face opposition to the changes made by the Senate. House Republicans narrowly passed an earlier version of the bill by a single-vote margin.
Democratic pushback of the bill stems from proposals to increase the ICE budget from $3.5 billion to $48.5 billion. Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care act are set to face $930 billion in cuts over the next decade. The bill also includes added work and age requirements for Medicaid and SNAP eligibility. SNAP costs will shift to states, while $150 billion is added for defense spending.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris issued a scathing statement after the bill was passed in the Senate.
"Thanks to Senate Republicans, 17 million people will lose their health care.Thanks to Senate Republicans, rural hospitals will close. Thanks to Senate Republicans, three million Americans, including veterans and seniors, will lose food assistance. Thanks to Senate Republicans, families will see their energy bills go up by $400 a year. Senate Republicans are doing all of this and more — hurting working people across our nation — in order to pay for $1 trillion in tax cuts for billionaires," Harris wrote on X.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett said House Democrats will continue to fight against the bill as it heads back to the chamber.
"At least 16 million could lose healthcare. Trillions will be added to the deficit. Hospitals will close. Children will go hungry," Crockett said of the bill's potential impact on X.
"Now it comes back to the House," she continued, "Democrats will be holding the line—because somebody has to fight for the folks they’re so quick to leave behind, including their own constituents."
Trump previously set a July 4 deadline for the bill to pass through Congress and make it to his desk to sign into law.
House Republicans can only afford to lose three votes for the bill to pass. A group of fiscal conservatives has already signalled their opposition to how much the Senate proposal could add to the U.S. deficit, so the legislation's fate remains unclear.
See more reactions to the Senate passing Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" below.
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.