The Senate set votes for 9 a.m. on June 30, after embarking on the hours-long debate over Trump’s legislative priorities June 28.

Elon Musk, Trump’s former adviser, blasted the bill as ‘political suicide’ before the Senate debate began.

The Senate aims to send the bill back to the House for approval. If approved, the House set votes for 9 a.m. July 2. Trump has asked Congress to complete the bill by July 4.

WASHINGTON – The Senate begins voting at 9 a.m. on President Donald Trump’s package of legislative priorities as Republicans try to thread the needle for tax cuts, Medicaid reforms and border security funding with a narrow majority.

Senators spent June 29 debating the 940-page bill before embarking on what is expected to be dozens of amendments. The whirlwind voting process is nicknamed a “vote-a-rama,” which could last hours.

If the Senate approves the bill, the House will begin voting on it July 2. Trump has asked Congress to send him the bill by July 4.

The legislation cleared a key hurdle late June 28, receiving a tight 51-49 vote in the Senate that took more than three and a half hours while a handful of Republicans negotiated with Senate leaders, Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

Still, that wasn’t the final passage the bill needs to head to Trump’s desk. Instead, after the vote, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, forced Senate clerks to read the entire 940-page bill rather than customarily waiving that chore.

Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, has said he is uncertain whether enough Republicans will support the final version of their bill to send it back to the House. Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina were the only Republican votes against debating the bill as written.

“We’ll find out,” Thune said.

Here is what has happened so far:

The bill is now read

The Senate clerk has finished reading the 940-page, foot-high Senate version of the Trump-backed bill. Next, there will be up to 20 hours of debate split evenly between the parties.

Democrats are expected to use up most of their time, while Republicans are not. Once that is complete, the Senate will begin hearing potential amendments to the bill, most of which will likely fail.

A final vote on the bill is expected June 30 at the earliest.

– Sarah D. Wire

Tillis won’t seek reelection

Tillis, one of the Republican senators who voted against moving Trump’s legislation forward, announced that he will not seek reelection in 2026.

“As many of my colleagues have noticed over the last year, and at times even joked about, I haven’t exactly been excited about running for another term,” he said, adding that retiring in a divided time for the nation was “not a hard choice.”

Trump calls Tillis departure ‘great news’

Trump welcomed Sen. Thom Tillis’ decision not to seek reelection in 2026, after the president threatened to find a Republican primary opponent in North Carolina. Trump noted Tillis’ opposition to the legislative package.

“Great News! ‘Senator’ Thom Tillis will not be seeking reelection,” Trump said in a social media post.

Tillis had said there was much to like in the bill but that it would cost his state tens of billions of dollars in Medicaid funding for lower-income families.

– Bart Jansen

Trump tax-cut bill could add $3.3 trillion to debt

The Congressional Budget Office, an independent, nonpartisan referee that analyzes the impact of legislation, said June 29 that Trump’s sweeping tax-cut and spending bill would add $3.3 trillion to the nation’s debt over a decade.

The office previously found that Trump’s plan would increase resources for middle and top earners at the expense of lower-income Americans.

– Medora Lee, Reuters

What is a vote-a-rama?

After debating Trump’s legislative package for up to 20 hours, senators will head into a whirlwind of voting on all the amendments that have stacked up by that point.

Former Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Mississippi, coined the phrase “vote-a-rama.” Senators have held 45 such sessions since 1980, according to the Senate.

During the session, senators spend a couple of minutes reminding their colleagues what an amendment is about and then vote for 15 or 20 minutes. Then take up another, until everyone is exhausted.

The process can take hours but covers a wide variety of subjects that critics and supporters are trying to add or take away from the bill. The most amendments voted on was 44 in 2008, according to the Senate.

– Bart Jansen

‘I hope the American people pay attention to it’: Republicans promote spending bill

As the Senate clerk reads the text of the mega tax and spending bill June 29, Republicans took to Sunday morning new shows to discuss the legislation, which Democrats have lambasted as a giveaway to the rich at the expense of the rest of the country.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a Republican from Oklahoma, said on “Meet the Press” that Republicans are happy the bill is being read aloud. “I hope the American people pay attention to it. I hope the Democrats pay attention to it because it’s going to be very hard for them to argue about what this actually does,” he said.

Sen. John Barasso, a Republican from Wyoming, told hosts of Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” that the bill means “lower taxes, lower prices, more jobs, better paying jobs, more money in people’s pockets.”

“That’s what the American people voted for. They rejected the Democrats last time because they were the party of high prices and open borders. They wanted Republicans to bring to them safety and prosperity, and that’s what this is all about,” Barasso said.

Recent surveys have found the bill to be unpopular with many Americans, and Democrats have said they are expect the bill to play a role in which party controls the chambers of Congress after the 2028 midterm elections.

– Sarah D. Wire

Tillis rails against Medicaid cuts in bill

Sen. Thom Tillis, who announced he wouldn’t seek reelection after opposing Trump’s bill, gave a fiery speech against Medicaid cuts in the legislative package.

Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, said the bill postponed cuts for a couple of years but it would eventually threaten Medicaid coverage for 663,000 people in his state at a cost of $26 billion.

“The effect of this bill is to break a promise,” Tillis said.

– Bart Jansen

Tillis spends 38th anniversary voting against Trump bill

As a post script to his speech against Medicaid cuts, GOP Sen. Thom Tillis noted that June 28 – the day Tillis voted against beginning the debate and Trump threatened his political future – was his 38th wedding anniversary when the rest of his family was on a beach in North Carolina.

“God bless my family,” Tillis said. “I love you.”

– Bart Jansen

Senators debate cost of Trump bill as ‘fake math’ or ‘historic’

The Senate debate on Trump’s tax-cut and policy bill began with a fundamental argument about how much it will cost.

A central part of the bill would extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of the year. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that will cost $4 trillion over a decade.Republicans aren’t counting that cost by arguing that continuing current policy shouldn’t count as additional spending. But Democrats note the budget bills have never been calculated that way.

“Republicans are doing something the Senate has never, never done before: deploying fake math and accounting gimmicks to hide the true cost of their bill,” said Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York.

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the longest-serving Democrat on the Budget Committee and a former preschool teacher, said even the youngest children know the difference between a trillion and zero.

“It doesn’t take a preschooler to tell you they’re using magic math,” Murray said. “Suddenly a couple of trillion goes away with a sprinkle of fairy dust.”

But Republicans said counting costs is up the Budget Committee, which is headed by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina. He argued that nobody expects tax policies to simply expire without a change in law, so extending them without additional cost makes sense.

“What we’re doing here is historic – in a good way,” Graham said. “It’s a good thing for the economy because it gives you certainty.”

– Bart Jansen

Senators thank staffers for working overnight to read bill

In the caustic fight over Trump’s tax and policy bill, one thing senators agreed upon was to thank staffers who read the bill’s 940 pages out loud from about 11 a.m. on June 28 to 3 p.m. on June 29.

“I want them to know that the Senate appreciates their dedication, their stamina and their service,” Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, said in opening the debate after the reading.

Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, who forced the reading, also voiced his appreciation.

“You are the unsung heroes of what goes on here,” Schumer said. “Thank you for your dedication, your excellence, your perseverance, your strength.”

– Bart Jansen

Democrats say they’re making their case

Rather than a vote this weekend as expected, Senate Democrats demanded a full reading of Republican’s tax and spending bill on the Senate floor. That will likely push the vote to Monday – when more Americans could be paying attention.

Senate clerks are slightly more than halfway through the 940-page version of the Trump-backed mega-bill. Then there will be multi-hour voting on amendments to change the bill, many of which are expected to fail.

“I think we’ve been effective in getting what’s in this god-awful bill out into the public,” Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, said on CNN’s “State of the Union” on June 29. “I think this will be a political albatross.”

A raft of new surveys that came out last week indicate that the GOP is losing the battle of public opinion over the bill.

Democrats have branded it as a tax give away for the rich in exchange for cutting Medicare and other social safety net programs like food assistance and free or reduced priced school lunches for the rest of the country.

Republicans have said the bill is necessary for economic growth and includes massive spending for the military and immigration enforcement.

– Sarah D. Wire

Senator Kelly calls Trump bill a ‘s— sandwich’

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, doesn’t like the taste of Trump’s legislative package of priorities.

“This bill is a s— sandwich and not even the bread is any good,” Kelly said on social media. “It’s a collection of the worst policies. It takes away people’s health care and food assistance, gives a giant tax cut to rich people, and adds trillions to our debt.”

– Bart Jansen

Trump supports Senate strategy on tax-cut costs

Trump praised the strategy the Senate is using to ignore the $4 trillion cost of extending the 2017 tax cuts.

Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough was expected to rule that the cost of extending the tax cuts had to be counted. She has already ruled several significant provisions, including several dealing with Medicaid, don’t deserve protection from the filibuster in the debate.

But Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, took the preemptive action of raising an objection to his own bill. To open debate, he questioned how the bill’s costs were calculated.

“This is an issue I think we need to deal with right off the bat,” Thune said.

The presiding officer, Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, cited the Budget Act and Senate precedents. He ruled that the Budget Committee chairman determines the cost. This is what Republicans agreed before bringing the bill to the floor.

Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, challenged that ruling, demanding a vote. Fellow Democrats called the strategy “fake math” and “fairy dust.”

But Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the chamber so they are expected to win the vote. Trump endorsed the strategy.

“An unelected Senate Staffer (Parliamentarian), should not be allowed to hurt the Republicans Bill,” Trump wrote on social media. “Wants many fantastic things out. NO!”

– Bart Jansen

Which Republicans voted against Trump’s bill? The president blasts GOP lawmakers

Trump took to his Truth Social platform to criticize the GOP lawmakers who voted against moving his major tax bill forward – Tillis and Paul.

“Numerous people have come forward wanting to run in the Primary against “Senator Thom” Tillis. I will be meeting with them over the coming weeks, looking for someone who will properly represent the Great People of North Carolina and, so importantly, the United States of America,” Trump said.

Trump had a shorter message for Paul, a longtime GOP lawmaker from Kentucky: “Did Rand Paul Vote “NO” again tonight? What’s wrong with this guy???”

– Marina Pitofsky

Where can I read Trump’s bill?

Looking to read Trump’s bill yourself? You can find the document, which is hundreds of pages long, here.

If you’re looking for the top takeaways on the sweeping piece of legislation, USA TODAY’s Savannah Kuchar breaks down what’s actually in it – and how it would impact Americans from coast to coast – here.

– Marina Pitofsky

What are the cuts to Medicaid in the bill?

Medicaid, which provides health insurance to more than 71 million low-income Americans, has been a regular point of contention for both chambers grappling with the legislation.

After the House narrowly approved big changes to the program that would save at least $625 billion − and potentially cause 7.6 million Americans over the next 10 years to lose their health insurance − the Senate sought even deeper cuts.

Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough axed a handful of changes from the Senate bill, including prohibiting coverage for non-citizens and barring funds for gender-affirming care. The upper chamber’s legislation maintains new work requirements and increased eligibility checks.

The Senate plan seeks to force able-bodied adults to work 80 hours per month until age 65 to qualify for benefits, but it does include exemptions for parents or guardians of children under 14 and those with disabilities.

– Savannah Kuchar

What’s in the bill for seniors?

The Senate proposed a $6,000 “bonus deduction” for those aged 65 and older, but eligibility is capped at $75,000 in income for single filers and $150,000 for couples.

The deduction would be available from 2025 through 2028, and would supplement, but not replace, the existing extra standard deduction already available to older adults. For 2025, a single filer age 65 or older can claim an extra $2,000, while married couples filing jointly can add $1,600 for each spouse over 65 in addition to the standard deduction available to all taxpayers.

The House agreed on a $4,000 bonus deduction with similar eligibility parameters and duration.

– Medora Lee

What does Trump say about the Senate version of the bill?

The Trump administration “strongly supports” the Senate version of the bill, in a White House Office of Management and Budget statement June 28.The statement isn’t intended to favor the Senate version over the House version on any particular provision, but to signal Trump would sign it if approved by Congress. The two-page statement highlighted provisions for tax cuts, border security, energy and defense.

“President Trump is committed to keeping his promises, and failure to pass this bill would be the ultimate betrayal,” the statement said.

−Bart Jansen

What is a procedural vote?

You may have seen the Senate’s decision to begin their debate on the massive, Trump-backed legislation labeled a “procedural vote.” But what does that mean?

Not all votes in the House and Senate mean Congress is signing off on a bill and sending it to the president’s desk. Sometimes lawmakers simply vote to begin the process of considering legislation – or they vote on amendments, rules of debate and more.

Keep up with USA TODAY’s live coverage as we track the Senate’s path toward a final vote.

– Marina Pitofsky

Trump allies call for Senate parliamentarian to be removed. Who is Elizabeth MacDonough?

Republican are calling for the Senate’s parliamentarian to be fired after she ruled that several Medicaid provisions must be taken out of Trump’s tax, spending and policy bill, spelling trouble for the president and his party as they try to get the legislation signed into law by a self-imposed July 4 deadline.

The chamber’s leading rules expert, Elizabeth MacDonough, sided on June 26 against the inclusion of provisions that the GOP wanted to put in the bill aimed at reducing spending on Medicaid by requiring work from able-bodied adults and denying access to non-citizens.

That didn’t go over well with deficit hawks trying to secure for Trump his biggest legislative win of his second term.

For now, it appears MacDonough’s job is secure: Thune told reporters the GOP had no plans to overrule its parliamentarian, let alone fire her.

– Sudiksha Kochi

GOP senators raise – and some resolve – concerns about bill

Why did Tillis and Paul refuse to back Trump’s bill? Paul, who golfed with Trump that afternoon, opposed the bill’s spending levels. Tillis voiced concerns about Medicaid cuts costing his state tens of billions of dollars.

Trump threatened to find a Republican primary opponent for Tillis in 2026.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, initially voted no on starting the debate. But he flipped his vote at the last minute rather than force a tie that Vice President JD Vance was on hand to break.

GOP Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming and Rick Scott of Florida were the last to vote, each saying yes after hours of talks with leadership. Along the way, Lee withdrew a contentious provision that Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Montana, threatened to oppose the legislation over.

− Bart Jansen

Elon Musk called bill ‘political suicide’ for hurting jobs, economy

Billionaire Elon Musk, Trump’s former adviser on cutting government spending, fired off another set of attacks against the president’s legislative package for potentially killing millions of jobs.

Musk had quieted his harsh criticism of Trump and the legislation the week after his departure from government May 30. But he blasted the bill again as the Senate prepared to debate it.

“The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!” Musk said June 28 on social media. “Utterly insane and destructive. It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future.”

Musk added another post warning the GOP of the electoral risks if they vote for the Trump-backed legislation that is not polling well with Republicans.

−Bart Jansen

What’s in the Senate version of Trump’s bill? Does it include no tax on tips?

The largest provisions in the legislation would extend expiring tax cuts and create a few new ones, and a dramatic increasing in spending on border security.

The heart of the legislation would extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts which are set to expire at end of the year. Republicans have said defeat of the measure would lead to a $4 trillion tax hike over the next decade.

New tax deductions Trump campaigned on would apply to tips for employees such as waiters through 2028 and for overtime pay. The Senate capped the deduction at $25,000 and weakened the break for individuals with income above $150,000.

For border security, the bill would increase funding about $150 billion for the Department of Homeland Security. The bill authorizes $45 billion for new detention centers as Trump ramps up arrests and $27 billion for a mass deportation campaign.

A crucial provision would increase the amount the country can borrow by $5 trillion. The country’s debt is already approaching $37 trillion and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned the current limit on borrowing will be reached in August.Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a Republican holdout on the bill, said he wouldn’t vote for the bill unless the debt limit gets a separate vote. But Republican leaders want to keep the unpopular vote within the overall package.

−Bart Jansen

Republican Congressman says he won’t seek reelection in 2026 after voting against Trump’s megabill

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis announced Sunday afternoon that he will not be seeking reelection in 2026.

This comes after receiving backlash from President Donald Trump for voting against the “One Big Beautiful” bill, which passed 51-49 overnight Saturday.

Tillis released a Sunday statement, saying in part: “In Washington over the last few years, it’s become increasingly evident that leaders who are willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species.”

“Democrats recently lost two such leaders who were dedicated to making the Senate more of a functional and productive legislative body. They got things done. But they were shunned after they courageously refused to cave to their party bosses to nuke the filibuster for the sake of political expediency. They ultimately retired and their presence in the Senate chamber has been sorely missed every day since.”

“It underscores the greatest form of hypocrisy in American politics. When people see independent thinking on the other side, they cheer. But when those very same people see independent thinking coming from their side, they scorn, ostracize, and even censure them.”

“Too many elected officials are motivated by pure raw politics who really don’t give a damn about the people they promised to represent on the campaign trail. After they get elected, they don’t bother to do the hard work to research the policies they seek to implement and understand the consequences those policies could have on that young adult living in a trailer park, struggling to make ends meet.”

“As many of my colleagues have noticed over the last year, and at times even joked about, I haven’t exactly been excited about running for another term. That is true since the choice is between spending another six years navigating the political theatre and partisan gridlock in Washington or spending that time with the love of my life Susan, our two children, three beautiful grandchildren, and the rest of our extended family back home. It’s not a hard choice, and I will not be seeking re-election.”

Trump lashes out at Tillis

In late-night social media posts, Trump praised Senators Rick Scott, Ron Johnson, Mike Lee, and Cynthia Lummis for their support of the bill. He also targeted holdouts, including Tillis, who had been up for reelection. Trump threatened to campaign against Tillis, announcing plans to meet with potential primary challengers.

“Numerous people have come forward wanting to run in the Primary against “Senator Thom” Tillis. I will be meeting with them over the coming weeks, looking for someone who will properly represent the Great People of North Carolina and, so importantly, the United States of America. Thank you for your attention to this matter!,” Trump wrote.

Tillis said he could not support Trump’s megabill because of Medicaid cuts that he worried would leave many without health care in NC.

A new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the Senate version of the bill would increase by 11.8 million the number of people without health insurance in 2034.

WATCH | N &O Report: NC residents at risk of losing Medicaid coverage

In another post on his social media platform, Trump accused Tillis of grandstanding and said that he was “making a BIG MISTAKE for America, and the Wonderful People of North Carolina!”

ABC News and Associated Press contributed to this report.

Featured video is from a previous report.

WASHINGTON – The Senate voted to begin a marathon debate about President Donald Trump’s package of legislative priorities − stuffed with tax cuts, Medicaid reforms and border security funding – despite lingering Republican concerns about the legislation.

Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, has said he is uncertain whether enough Republicans will support their version to send it back to the House.

“We’ll find out,” Thune said.

But the 51-49 vote to proceed signals that there is enough GOP support to at least begin the hours-long debate and expected voting on dozens of amendments.

GOP Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina each voted against debating the bill as written.

The vote that began at 7:30 p.m. EDT was held open for more than three hours as Thune scrambled to find a majority of votes to kickstart the debate.

If the Senate is ultimately successful, the House would have to vote on the upper chamber’s changes in order to reach Trump’s desk by his self-imposed deadline of July 4. The Senate has trimmed the House version from about 1,100 pages to 940 − and still faces votes on what are expected to be dozens of amendments.

The success of Trump’s domestic agenda for tax cuts and border security hangs in the balance. Republican approval of the spending blueprint would allow a majority of the 100-member Senate to approve all of Trump’s priorities included in it through legislation later in the year, rather than needing 60 votes to overcome a filibuster for each measure.

Here’s what we know about the legislative package:

Senate voting on whether to debate Trump’s bill

A long wait, then a vote to begin debate

With little fanfare, the Senate began voting at about 7:30 p.m. EDT on whether to begin the debate on Trump’s legislative package.

Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, simply asked the Senate to vote on a motion to begin debating the bill.

The move came after hours of inaction – interrupted by the occasional speech – since the Senate gaveled into action at 2 p.m.

– Bart Jansen

Nevada senator votes despite COVID-19

The vote was close enough and important enough that a Nevada senator voted despite testing positive for COVID-19.

“After experiencing mild symptoms, I have tested positive for COVID,” Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, said in a social media post. “I’ll continue to follow my doctor’s guidelines and wear a mask while voting this weekend.”- Bart Jansen

Lee drops provision for public land sales from bill

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, agreed to drop a contentious provision for public land sales from the legislative package.

Environmental groups had criticized the provision for opening lands to logging and oil, gas and coal production. A fellow Republican, Sen. Tim Sheehy of Montana, threatened to vote against the bill unless the provision was removed, which could have scuttled the entire bill.

Lee announced on social media that he wasn’t able to secure safeguards that the land must be sold to Americans rather than the Chinese or investors.

“I continue to believe the federal government owns far too much land – land it is mismanaging and in many cases ruining for the next generation,” Lee said.

– Bart Jansen

Trump blasts Tillis over opposition to legislation

Trump criticized Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, one of three Republicans to vote against debating the legislation, as “making a BIG MISTAKE.”

Tillis had voiced concern about steeper Medicaid cuts in the Senate version of the bill than in the House version, and said he would have to oppose it.

But Trump noted he won the state in three presidential elections in the Tarheel State, where Tillis faces reelection next year. Trump highlighted provisions in the legislation to eliminate taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security. He argued taxes will rise if 2017 tax cuts aren’t extended, and that the country needs to increase the limit on borrowing.

“Thom Tillis is making a BIG MISTAKE for America, and the Wonderful People of North Carolina!” Trump said in a post June 28 on social media.

In another post, Trump said he would be meeting with “numerous people” who have asked to run in the GOP primary against Tillis. Trump said he is “looking for someone who will properly represent the Great people of North Carolina.”

– Bart Jansen

Democrats force Senate to read entire Trump bill

Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, forced Senate clerks to read the entire bill out loud, further delaying the start of debate on the bill.

While typically a formality, Schumer objected to waiving the reading of the bill. His objection forced clerks to read the 940-page document.

Then senators will begin hours of debate followed by hours of voting. A vote on final passage could come June 30.

– Bart Jansen

‘No cause for alarm’ on vote delay: Sen. Mike Rounds

South Dakota GOP Sen. Mike Rounds told CNN that he thinks Republicans will ultimately have the votes to begin the floor debate but were working on ensuring commitments for concerned GOP lawmakers that they’ll get the chance to offer amendments to address their issues.

“No cause for alarm,” Rounds said, adding that the lengthy delay from the plan to have a 4 p.m. EDT opening procedural vote stemmed from the wait for the Congressional Budget Office to analyze late changes to the Senate bill. Looking ahead, Rounds outlined a floor plan that would start with Democrats forcing a full reading of the 990-page bill, something the Republican said he hoped they would not do so that congressional staff can go home for the night and get rest before resuming debate on June 29.

Once the floor debate begins, Rounds said Democrats and Republicans would get 20 hours equally divided – with the GOP likely surrendering a considerable amount of that time. Only then would the Senate begin to hold what’s known as a “vote-a-rama” where they consider scores of amendments.”We’ve got a long couple of days ahead of us yet,” Rounds said. – Darren Samuelsohn

Business Roundtable endorses Trump bill

Business groups endorsed Trump’s legislative package for its anticipated economic benefits as the Senate prepared to debate it.

“This critical legislation would protect and enhance the transformative economic benefits that President Trump’s historic 2017 tax reform delivered for American businesses, workers and families,” Business Roundtable President Kristen Silverberg said. “We urge the Senate to swiftly pass this measure.” – Bart Jansen

Democrats to force reading aloud of the entire Senate bill

Senate Democrats unified in opposition to the legislation plan to force the chamber’s clerk to read the entire 990-page GOP tax, policy and spending bill aloud if Republicans vote to open the floor debate.

“Future generations will be saddled with trillions in debt,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York. “Under this draft Republicans will take food away from hungry kids to pay for tax breaks to the rich.”

Schumer’s plans mean that the Senate is sure to be in session late into the night, if not past dawn – presuming Republicans vote to begin the debate. – Darren Samuelsohn, Reuters

Elon Musk opens fire, calls Trump bill ‘utterly insane and destructive’

Billionaire Elon Musk, Trump’s former adviser on cutting government spending, fired off another set of attacks against the president’s legislative package for potentially killing millions of jobs.

Musk had quieted his harsh criticism of Trump and the legislation the week after his departure from government May 30. But he blasted the bill again as the Senate prepared to debate it.

“The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!” Musk said June 28 on social media. “Utterly insane and destructive. It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future.”

As the Senate vote remained in limbo, Musk added another post warning the GOP of the electoral risks if they vote for the Trump-backed legislation that is not polling well with Republicans.

– Bart Jansen

Paging Vice President JD Vance: The Senate might need a tie-breaker

Coming out of a GOP lunch June 28, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, said he’s “under the impression” Senate leadership has the buy-in to advance Trump’s bill. But, “I’m thinking we need the VP,” he said.

Republicans need a simple 51-vote majority to pass the bill. But with a tight 53-member majority and ongoing disputes, every swing vote counts. If they hit 50, Vice President JD Vance, in his capacity as Senate president, can break the tie in Trump’s favor. -Savannah Kuchar

Environmental groups criticize bill’s support for fossil fuels

Environmental advocates criticized the Senate version of Trump’s legislative priorities for not just ending incentives for renewable energy but setting taxes on wind and solar power generation.

The advocacy group Natural Resources Defense Council estimated taxes on some projects could grow 50%. The bill could also trigger the largest sale of public lands in history for logging and oil, gas and coal production, according to the group.

Trump campaigned on boosting domestic energy production with the phrase “drill, baby, drill.”

“The new budget reconciliation bill text is a shocking fossil fuels industry fever dream come to life,” said Christy Goldfuss, the council’s executive director. “The bill has gone from fossil fuels boosterism to an active effort from Congress to kill wind and solar energy in the United States.” – Bart Jansen

GOP senators join Trump for golf

President Donald Trump had no public events on his calendar, but he had a couple of key allies join him for golf at his Northern Virginia course: CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Republican Sens. Eric Schmitt of Missouri, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

After posting a picture with Trump on the golf course, Graham added that he partnered with Trump and Paul to beat Schmitt and Ratcliffe.

“Proud to announce no casualties,” Graham wrote. “A lot of fun! Big Beautiful Bill on the way.”. – Bart Jansen

Saying ‘no’ and voting ‘no’ two different things: Sen. Markwayne Mullin

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, a supporter of Trump’s legislative package, told reporters at the Capitol that lawmakers warning about voting against it and actually voting “no” are two different things.

Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin; Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina; and Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, have each said they were opposed to the bill that is still changing. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, have voiced concerns about it.

“Everybody’s got concerns, but saying you’re voting ‘no’ and when you get to the floor and voting ‘no’ is two totally different things,” Mullin said. “I don’t believe in losing and we’re going to get the votes.” – Bart Jansen

Budget blueprint debate could be 30 hours of ‘nonsense’: Sen. Brian Moreno

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, a supporter of Trump’s legislative package, said a final vote would likely come after 30 hours of “nonsense” from Democrats voting on proposals to change the contentious bill.

“It’s an absolutely historic and transformative piece of legislation that reverses four years of an assault on American workers,” Moreno said. “I want everybody watching this to remember this as you listen to probably what’s going to be 30-plus hours of complete nonsense from the other side.” – Bart Jansen

Senate meets before debating Trump legislative package

The Senate gaveled in at 2 p.m., in anticipation of beginning debate on President Trump’s legislative priorities, but lawmakers haven’t yet voted to begin talking about the measure.

A majority of senators must agree to begin debate, which can sometimes kill legislation before it begins. With 53 Republicans and 47 Democratic caucus members, just a few GOP lawmakers could prevent a debate.

But the hurdle appears a mere technicality because wavering GOP members such as Sen. Susan Collins of Maine have said she would support the debate even if not necessarily the final bill. -Bart Jansen

Sen. Josh Hawley says Republicans have “soul searching” to do

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, had been one of the leading voices among Senate Republicans raising concerns about proposed cuts to Medicaid and how that would impact his largely rural state.

But after studying the latest, finalized bill text — which delays pushing costs onto states and establishes a $25 billion rural hospital fund — Hawley said he’s a yes on passing the bill.

Beyond this weekend’s vote, though, Hawley said he intends to keep pushing back in effort to prevent the delayed federal spending cuts from ever going into effect.

“This has been an unhappy episode, here in Congress, this effort to cut to Medicaid,” he said. “And I think, frankly, my party needs to do some soul searching.” — Savannah Kuchar

Sen. Susan Collins remains a wildcard

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she’ll support Senate leadership bringing the mega bill to the floor and kicking off presumably hours of debate. But she cautioned reporters that she remains uncertain how she’ll side when a final vote gets called.

“That does not, in any way, predict how I’m going to vote on the final passage,” Collins told reporters while walking into the Capitol for the start of the day’s events.

Collins said her final vote ultimately will depend on what the bill looks like after lawmakers — including herself — introduce and potentially tack on further amendments.

“There’s some very good changes that have been made in the latest version, but I want to see further changes,” Collins said. – Savannah Kuchar

What is in the Senate bill?

The largest provisions in the legislation would extend expiring tax cuts and create a few new ones, and a dramatic increasing in spending on border security.

The heart of the legislation would extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts which are set to expire at end of the year. Republicans have said defeat of the measure would lead to a $4 trillion tax hike over the next decade.

New tax deductions Trump campaigned on would apply to tips for employees such as waiters through 2028 and for overtime pay. The Senate capped the deduction at $25,000 and weakened the break for individuals with income above $150,000.

For border security, the bill would increase funding about $150 billion for the Department of Homeland Security. The bill authorizes $45 billion for new detention centers as Trump ramps up arrests and $27 billion for a mass deportation campaign.

A crucial provision would increase the amount the country can borrow by $5 trillion. The country’s debt is already approaching $37 trillion and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned the current limit on borrowing will be reached in August.

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a Republican holdout on the bill, said he wouldn’t vote for the bill unless the debt limit gets a separate vote. But Republican leaders want to keep the unpopular vote within the overall package. −Bart Jansen

What’s not in the Senate version of the bill?

Republican support in the Senate waned after Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled several significant provisions would have to be removed to avoid a filibuster.

Republicans removed provisions to curb environmental regulations; restrict federal judges’ powers; bulk up immigration enforcement; and cut funding from a consumer protection agency.

MacDonough also ruled against provisions that aimed to reduce Medicaid spending on health care programs for undocumented immigrants. −Bart Jansen

What does Trump say about the Senate version of the bill?

The Trump administration “strongly supports” the Senate version of the bill, in a White House Office of Management and Budget statement June 28.

The statement isn’t intended to favor the Senate version over the House version on any particular provision, but to signal Trump would sign it if approved by Congress. The two-page statement highlighted provisions for tax cuts, border security, energy and defense.

“President Trump is committed to keeping his promises, and failure to pass this bill would be the ultimate betrayal,” the statement said. −Bart Jansen

Is there really a July 4 deadline?

Trump has told congressional Republicans he’s want this thing wrapped up by Independence Day.

But the due date is less procedural than it is political. The sooner the president can tout legislation that makes good on several of his 2024 campaign promises, including a tax limit on tips and overtime wages, plus extends his 2017 tax cuts for high-income earners, the better.

The more impending deadlines are sometime in August, when Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said the federal government is at risk of hitting its debt ceiling, and the end of the year, when Trump’s first-term tax cuts are set to expire. The legislation up for a vote in the Senate currently contains a provision to raise the debt limit.− Savannah Kuchar

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis (R) announced after a meeting with Senate GOP leaders and colleagues Saturday afternoon that he will vote “no” on both the motion to proceed and final passage of the Republican megabill to implement President Trump’s agenda because of deep cuts to federal Medicaid funding.

Tillis said he wants Senate Republican leaders to drop their plan to lower the cap on healthcare provider taxes and instead embrace the Medicaid language passed by the House last month, which would cut much less federal funding in the program.

“Oh no. The data hasn’t changed so I got to vote no,” he said.

The North Carolina Republican said Senate leaders should return to “starting with the House baseline.”

“I’m going to vote no on motion to proceed and on final passage,” he said.

Tillis’s strong opposition to the bill is a significant development because two other Republicans, Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.) and Ron Johnson (Wis.), have already said they will vote “no.”

That gives substantially more leverage to Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and other swing-vote senators to demand changes to the bill.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) can only afford three defections from his conference and still pass the bill with a tie-breaking vote from Vice President Vance given their 53-seat majority.

Collins said she will vote Saturday to begin debate on the megabill but she says she wants to make several changes to it and is not guaranteed to vote “yes” on final passage.

“I am planning to vote for the motion to proceed. Generally, I give deference to the majority leader’s power to bring bills to the Senate floor. Does not in any way predict how I’m going to vote on final passage,” Collins told reporters Saturday.

Tillis said he would help House Republican colleagues by “defending their bill,” which would prohibit states that expanded Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act from increasing health care provider taxes and barring states that did not expand the program from establishing new provider taxes.

The Senate bill would cut more deeply into federal Medicaid funding for states by reducing the 6 percent cap on health care provider taxes by half a percentage point a year starting in 2028, reducing the cap down to 3.5 percent in 2032.

States use healthcare provider taxes to collect more federal Medicaid funding, as the federal government matches what states collect in those taxes.

Johnson, the Wisconsin senator, said in an interview with “Fox & Friends Weekend” that he will vote against the motion to proceed to the bill on Saturday.

“I’m not going to vote for motion to proceed today. We just got the bill. I got my first copy about 1:23 in the morning, this morning,” he said.

He said lawmakers have preliminary budget scores on less than half of the legislation.

“We don’t even have the scores,” he said.

“We shouldn’t take the [Rep.] Nancy Pelosi [(D-Calif.)] approach and pass this bill to find out what’s in it,” he warned. “We need to have a debate.”

Paul, the Kentucky senator and other “no” vote, has repeatedly said he will oppose the bill because it includes language to raise the debt ceiling by $5 trillion.