Trump's Big Beautiful Bill stalls in senate after Democrats slam it for cutting medicaid and medicare and propose amendment after amendment.
Democrats proposed amendment after amendment in Trumps Big Beautiful Bill - They slam the GOP members for the steepest cut in history for medicaid and medicare that eliminated more than 8 million people from the health care net - Trumps bill achieved over $1.3 tn cut in health care benefits for the middle class familieilies and gives as a bonus some $20,000 per year for those in the higher tax bracket - It also increases cost of health care for the middle classes by $1,000 a year.
A fight is on to stall the bill and take the amendments so that it goes back to the house for reconsideration and passing. Trump has specified a July 04 deadline for the bill to pass in Congress and then onto to his desk for passing so that it can be enacted into law.
Already critics are calling it the Big Bad Bill for eliminating people from health care at the cost of benfits to the richers class in tax cuts
By Ashe Neil for TNA Talk
The drama in the senate thats unfolding now. Courtesy ABC news.
The Senate on Monday morning began a "vote-a-rama" on proposed amendments to President Donald Trump's megabill for his second term priorities.
It comes after a rare weekend session for senators, which included a dramatic 51-49 procedural vote on Saturday night to advance the massive tax and immigration bill and a forced reading of the 940-page bill by Democrats.
Overnight Sunday, the Senate parliamentarian ruled more provisions out of order with the reconciliation process Republicans are using to pass the bill with a simple majority. If it passes in the Senate, the bill goes back to the House to consider changes the Senate made to the House's version of the bill, which passed by one vote.
Fate of Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' remains uncertain as vote-a-rama hits nearly 12 hours
Nearly 12 hours into the vote-a-rama, all indications so far are that the Senate won’t be wrapping up anytime soon.
Democrats are continuing to offer amendment after amendment on the floor. The Senate is presently taking its 20th vote related to the bill, and right now, the floor appears stalled.
"They don't have a bill. They’re delayed. They’re stalling. They’re cutting a lot of backroom deals," Schumer said of Senate Republicans. "They got a lot of members who were promised things that they may not be able to deliver on, and so they’re just stalling."
But behind the scenes, Republicans are strategizing. They huddled up for dinner for about an hour on Monday night. Majority Leader John Thune, entering the dinner, said they were trying to find a way to “stick the landing."
Democrats use early hours of vote-a-rama to highlight cuts to Medicaid, SNAP
Democrats are using Monday's "vote-a-rama" to highlight cuts they say President Trump's megabill will make to Medicaid, SNAP and rural hospitals -- and to hammer in the tax cuts they say this bill gives to the wealthiest Americans. So far, Republicans have defeated all Democratic efforts to modify or reconsider the bill.
The Senate voted down 47-53 an amendment led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer that he said would have undone "the travesty that is at the core of the Republican bill."
"Their bill -- the so-called big beautiful bill, which is really a big, ugly betrayal -- cuts taxes for billionaires by taking away health care for millions of people. So what my amendment simply says -- if people's health care costs go up, the billionaire tax cuts vanish," Schumer said.
Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo, a Republican, argued against Schumer's amendment, saying he incorrectly framed what the bill does.
"The reality is, the reforms we are putting into place are to try to reign in control of wasteful and fraudulent and abusive spending that actually diverts resources away from the people who these programs really deserve to receive," Crapo said.
Democratic Sen. Ed Markey's effort to strip provisions that he said would negatively impact rural hospitals due to cuts to Medicaid also failed, but did receive the support of two Republicans: Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture committee, argued that the SNAP provisions in the bill create "chaos for state budgets and hardship for families" and violate budget rules. Her motion was waived by Republicans.
"The largest unfunded mandate is on the back of kids and veterans and seniors and people with disabilities," Klobuchar said. "It's hurting local grocery stores, it's hurting our farmers and it's all done to pay for tax cuts to the wealthy. I say to our colleagues: vote for families over billionaires."
White House urges Republicans to stay unified on Trump megabill
The White House had a message for Republicans on Monday as lawmakers rush to try to pass President Trump's megabill before his July 4 deadline.
"Republicans need to stay tough and unified during the home stretch, and we are counting on them to get the job done," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at her briefing.
Leavitt was asked about the bill's prospects in the House, which will have to sign off on the Senate changes. There is currently little room for error in either chamber for Republicans -- Speaker Mike Johnson can only afford three defections if all members are present and voting.
"We need the full weight of the Republican conference to get behind this bill and we expect them to, and we are confident they will," Leavitt said.
"The president has been working hand in hand with Senate Majority Leader Thune and also our House Republican Leader, or the Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, both of whom will be at the White House today to meet with the president yet again. I believe they were here this morning," she added.
'Vote-a-rama' kicks off in the Senate on Trump's megabill
The Senate gaveled in on Monday morning to begin a "vote-a-rama" on amendments proposed to President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the chamber's top Democrat, said his party "will bring one amendment after the other again and again and again to put Republicans on the record."
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, defended the legislation as bringing tax cuts to American families and argued government programs like Medicaid are in need of reform.
"Mr. President, it's time to vote," Thune said. Thune added on Trump's bill, "This, Mr. President, will make this country safer, stronger and more prosperous."
House GOP leaders say Wednesday is earliest chance for megabill vote
House GOP leaders informed lawmakers Sunday night that their earliest vote on the "One Big Beautiful Bill" would occur Wednesday morning, as the Senate works through the measure and top Republicans aim to meet a self-imposed Independence Day deadline.
"Members are advised that votes are now expected in the House as early as 9 a.m. Wednesday, July 2. Please stay tuned to future updates for additional information regarding this week's schedule," a notice from Majority Whip Tom Emmer's office said.
Republican leaders have told members they will receive 48 hours' notice before a vote is called and will have 72 hours to review the bill text.
A lot needs to happen before the House -- which was supposed to be out of session this week for the holiday -- can even hold a floor vote on the megabill.
First, the Senate needs to pass the bill and send it back to the lower chamber. Then, the Rules Committee will convene to advance the bill to the floor -- which is expected to occur as early as Tuesday.
Speaker Mike Johnson and GOP leaders have been working through the weekend to lock down the votes even as several lawmakers expressed opposition to the Senate's version, which is still not finalized. Johnson can only afford to lose three defections if all members are voting and present.
California moderate Republican Rep. David Valadao said he will vote "no" given the Medicaid changes in the Senate bill.
"I support the reasonable provisions in H.R. 1 that protect Medicaid's long-term viability and ensure the program continues to serve our most vulnerable, but I will not support a final bill that eliminates vital funding streams our hospitals rely on, including provider taxes and state directed payments, or any provisions that punish expansion states," Valadao said in a statement Saturday.
Several conservatives like Reps. Chip Roy of Texas, Josh Breechen of Oklahoma and Eric Burlison of Missouri have also expressed opposition to the Senate's bill.
"I will not negotiate via X. But it's important to know that jamming us with a bill before we've had any chance to review the implications of major changes & re-writes, fluid scores, a high likelihood of violating the house framework (deficits), & tons of swamp buy-offs is bad," Roy said in a post on X Saturday.
House GOP leaders hosted a conference call Saturday instructing members to not publicize their concerns with the bill, according to multiple sources.
Sen. Tillis rails against Trump's megabill's impact on Medicaid
A fiery Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., took to the Senate floor on Sunday evening to explain his vote from Saturday against the motion to proceed on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, condemning the legislation and saying it breaks President Donald Trump’s promises to protect Medicaid.
“What do I tell 663,000 people in two years, three years, when President Trump breaks his promise by pushing them off of Medicaid because the funding is not there anymore, guys?” Tillis asked at one point.
“The people in the White House advising the president, they're not telling him that the effect of this bill is to break a promise.”
Tillis, who had earlier on Sunday announced his plans to retire from the Senate following attacks from Trump over his decision to oppose the GOP megabill, also said that the president’s self-imposed July 4th deadline to pass the legislation was “artificial.”
“I believe that we can make sure that we do not break the promise of Donald J Trump– that he's made to the people on Medicaid today,” Tillis continued. “But what we're doing because we've got a view on an artificial deadline on July 4 that means nothing but another date and time we could take the time to get this right, if we lay down the house mark of the Medicaid bill and fix it."
"What’s wrong with actually understanding what this bill does?" the senator asked.
Trump reminds Republican senators of reelection stakes amid debate over 'big beautiful bill'
As the Senate officially began debating the "big beautiful bill," President Donald Trump took to his social media platform on Sunday, advising Republican senators not to "go too crazy!" and suggesting that they still need to be reelected.
"For all cost cutting Republicans, of which I am one, REMEMBER, you still have to get reelected," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Don’t go too crazy! We will make it all up, times 10, with GROWTH, more than ever before," he added.
The president's comments come as a number of Republican senators who voted to advance the bill on Saturday said they are still considering how they'll vote on its final passage.
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