‘Very close to a final product’: Senate GOP version of Trump’s bill near finish line

With a week until a July Fourth deadline for Congress to get President Donald Trump’s megabill passed, Senate Republicans are going over the final sticking points — with the end in sight and a potential vote this weekend.

On Friday afternoon, Senate Republicans met with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who called the passage of the bill the “single most important economic thing we’re going to do this year.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson chewed over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act with Senate Republicans at the closed-door lunch on Friday, telling reporters afterward that the Senate’s version of the legislation is almost done.

“We had a great discussion about a lot of important issues, and I feel like we’re getting very close to a final product,” Johnson said as he left the meeting.

While the Senate grapples with the state and local tax provision, Johnson said he believes senators are “very, very close to closing that issue out.”

The Senate version of the bill was initially expected to hit the Senate floor on Saturday afternoon with a procedural vote on the motion to proceed to the bill, which requires a simple majority of votes to pass. However, late Friday, there were signs the initial timeline was slipping out of reach, with the Senate no longer expected to vote at noon. Instead, the Senate will convene at 2 p.m. and it’s not clear when the vote will happen.

After the bill gets the necessary votes to proceed, there are up to 20 hours of debate, evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats. Republicans will likely yield back most of their ten hours. Democrats will likely use close to all of it.

After an unlimited series of amendment votes, the Senate could vote on the final passage of the bill at some point on Sunday.

Still, some roadblocks remain. The Senate parliamentarian on Thursday rejected a Medicaid provision in the bill, which is a major blow to Senate Republicans’ efforts. Also, Senate Majority Leader John Thune can afford to lose only three Republican votes when the bill goes to the Senate floor, given unified Democratic opposition in the Senate.

“All of it depends onwe’ve got a few things we’re waiting on, outcomes from the parliamentarian on, but if we could get some of those questions issues landed, and my expectation is at some point tomorrow, we’ll be ready to go,” Thune said Friday.

Johnson and Thune met with Trump Thursday night in the Oval Office about the tax and immigration bill as Congress barrels toward its self-imposed Fourth of July deadline.

“We had a long discussion about where the bill stands and its status. And they are — we are very, very close, and Leader Thune has confidence that they could get the job done by this weekend, and we certainly are hopeful for that,” Johnson said about the Thursday meeting.

Earlier Friday, Johnson suggested the Fourth of July deadline could slide, saying “it’s possible” that the deadline could change — although he said he wanted to remain committed to the July Fourth goal. However, later in the day, Johnson stuck to Independence Day.

“That’s been our goal all along, and it hasn’t changed,” the speaker said, adding that “the House is ready to act as soon as the Senate does.”

After fudging his long-standing, self-imposed July Fourth deadline for Congress to pass his massive immigration and tax bill, Trump later doubled down on the date in a social media post.

“The House of Representatives must be ready to send it to my desk before July 4th — We can get it done,” the president wrote.

Earlier, when asked about the deadline during a news conference in the White House briefing room, the president said “it’s not the end all” and that “it can go longer.”

On Thursday, congressional leaders and the administration touted the benefits of the package during a celebration in the East Room of the White House.

As the Senate aims to move forward this weekend with the megabill, House leaders told members in a formal notice “pending Senate action on H.R. 1, votes on the One Big Beautiful Bill are expected in the House next week” — interrupting a planned weeklong Independence Day recess.

“Further information regarding the timing of votes will be provided as soon as possible, and Members will be given a minimum of 48 hours’ notice prior to any votes in the House,” the notice states.

Earlier this week, Trump told members of Congress that they would have to forgo vacations to get the bill to his desk.

“To my friends in the Senate, lock yourself in a room if you must, don’t go home, and GET THE DEAL DONE THIS WEEK,” Trump posted on his social media platform. “Work with the House so they can pick it up, and pass it, IMMEDIATELY. NO ONE GOES ON VACATION UNTIL IT’S DONE.”

Featured video is from a previous report.

Congress is facing a tight deadline to pass President Donald Trump’s tax cut and spending bill, with the White House setting a deadline one week from Friday. Frustration is growing among lawmakers, who are still awaiting the bill’s text and details about what provisions have been omitted or included.

The process is causing headaches, particularly for Republican leadership, as a key policy referee, the Senate parliamentarian, continues to decide what can be part of the bill.

Republicans are attempting to pass the bill using a method that circumvents the filibuster and potential objections from Democrats, allowing passage with Republican votes alone. This procedure, however, requires more scrutiny and constraints compared to a typical bill, necessitating the involvement of the parliamentarian.

Several key provisions proposed by Republicans have been removed by the parliamentarian. Among the excised measures are removing Medicaid coverage for certain immigrants and a proposal to sell public lands. Additionally, funding cuts for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have also been excluded.

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These provisions were integral to Republicans’ strategies for offsetting costs and preventing the bill from significantly increasing the deficit, especially given President Trump’s aim to eliminate taxes on tips and overtime pay—expensive items that require financial offsets. The removal of these cost-saving measures presents challenges for Republican leadership, with some members suggesting that they should disregard President Trump’s July 4 deadline.

There is a sentiment among some Republicans to take more time to thoroughly discuss the bill’s details and ensure understanding of each provision’s impact. While President Trump has set a self-imposed patriotic deadline in time for Independence Day, considerations are turning toward the August recess. Concerns loom over the possibility of the U.S. hitting the debt ceiling during August, which could risk a default.

A debt ceiling hike is part of the proposal, underscoring the urgency of passing the package before a potential default scenario. Despite President Trump’s firm stance on the July 4 deadline, uncertainty remains about whether lawmakers can meet it, especially since they will be in session all weekend without a finalized bill.

Votes on the legislation are expected to occur as soon as the weekend.

Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said “My expectation is at some point [Saturday] we’ll be ready” to begin a process of debates and votes on the bill.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has sent the House home for the weekend, with a provision to keep them on call should they need to return quickly to work on the bill.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.