US Senate approves divisive Trump spending bill

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The U.S. Senate, led by Republicans, narrowly approved President Donald Trump’s sweeping domestic policy bill on Tuesday, pushing forward a controversial package that includes steep welfare cuts and adds another $3 trillion to the national debt.

After a grueling 24-hour "vote-a-rama" during which Democrats challenged numerous provisions, Senate Majority Leader John Thune managed to unify enough Republicans to secure a 50-50 tie. Vice President JD Vance cast the deciding vote in favor of the bill.

The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives, where it faces serious hurdles. Democrats remain firmly opposed, while some Republicans are uneasy about the bill’s enormous cost and its sharp reductions in healthcare and food assistance programs.

At the heart of the bill is a proposed $4.5 trillion extension of Trump-era tax cuts. To offset some of the cost, the package includes $1.2 trillion in savings — largely by cutting Medicaid and federal food aid. Analysts estimate that these healthcare reductions could leave around 12 million low-income and disabled Americans without coverage.

In addition, the bill rescinds billions in green energy tax incentives while allocating $350 billion for border security and Trump’s expanded deportation efforts.

President Trump insisted the bill must be signed into law by the July 4 Independence Day holiday. “It’s going to get in, it’s going to pass, and we’re going to be very happy,” he told reporters confidently.

But opposition has been fierce. The bill is one of the least popular in recent memory, and Democrats hope to use public dissatisfaction as fuel for their bid to retake the House in the 2026 midterms.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned the legislation as a betrayal of working-class Americans. “Senate Republicans today gave billionaires the biggest tax break in history — paid for by taking health care from the poor and food from hungry children,” he said.

Even within the GOP, discontent has emerged. Some Senate Republicans voiced concern over the projected $3.3 trillion increase in deficits over a decade. Among the most vocal critics was Elon Musk, the billionaire Tesla CEO and former Trump ally, who objected to the rollback of green energy incentives and the mounting debt burden.

Trump responded furiously, threatening to revoke government contracts for Musk’s companies and even floated the idea of deporting him. “Without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

Although the House already passed an earlier version of the legislation, the new Senate changes mean the bill must return to the lower chamber for final approval. That process could be contentious. House Speaker Mike Johnson will need to rally nearly every Republican, as the party can afford to lose only three votes.

Hardline conservatives in the House are particularly angry over what they describe as $651 billion in additional deficit spending added by the Senate’s version.

Still, Johnson vowed to push the bill through swiftly. “The House will work quickly to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill that enacts President Trump's full America First agenda by the Fourth of July,” he said.

He concluded with a message of urgency and resolve: “The American people gave us a clear mandate, and after four years of Democrat failure, we intend to deliver without delay.”