Politics
Senate holds marathon overnight vote series on Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” as GOP eyes July 4 deadline
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Updated on: July 1, 2025 / 9:03 AM EDT / CBS News
Washington — A marathon vote series in the Senate continued overnight and into the morning Tuesday on President Trump’s massive tax bill as Republicans worked to pass the centerpiece legislation of Mr. Trump’s second-term agenda.
The House narrowly passed the bill last month and Senate Republicans have been working to put their mark on the legislation, treading carefully so as not to throw off the delicate balance in the lower chamber. The House will need to approve the Senate’s changes to the bill before it can head to the president’s desk for his signature. And lawmakers are trying to move quickly, with a self-imposed July 4 deadline to get the measure signed.
The Senate worked through the weekend as the GOP entered a final sprint on the legislation ahead of the deadline. Formally titled “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” the legislation includes increased spending for border security, defense and energy production, which is offset in part by cuts to healthcare and nutrition programs. The Congressional Budget Office estimated Sunday that the legislation would increase the deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion over the next decade.
Senate Republicans advanced the legislation late Saturday, with all but two voting in favor following hours of delay as the GOP worked to iron out last-minute details and dispel concern among holdouts. The vote on the motion to proceed stayed open for more than three hours as holdouts sought assurances from GOP leaders. Some tweaks were made to the bill before Republicans ultimately received enough votes to move forward.
Senate Democrats further delayed the legislation’s path forward by forcing the bill to be read in its entirety, starting late Saturday. After nearly 16 hours, the Senate clerks concluded their reading of the bill on the floor, starting the clock on debate. Each side then had up to 10 hours for debate, before voting kicked off Monday morning.
Source: CBS
