Punchbowl reporter: U.S. VP Vance broke the tie on the perfecting amendment

Punchbowl reporter: U.S. VP Vance broke the tie on the perfecting amendment

The U.S. Senate has moved forward with a critical procedural vote on President Donald Trump's sprawling budget bill, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The vote, held late into the night, was pivotal in advancing the legislation that includes increased spending on border security, defense, and energy production, offset by cuts to healthcare and food-support programs.

The marathon session, lasting over 22 hours, saw Vice President JD Vance arrive at the Capitol Hill to potentially cast a tie-breaking vote. The Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress, can afford only three defections for the bill to pass. If they lose three votes, Vance will have to cast the tie-breaking vote [1].

The bill's fate remains uncertain, with critics including Elon Musk, who has criticized Republicans for increasing the national debt while promising to reduce government spending. The tech billionaire was previously in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency, tasked with finding ways to cut government spending, but fell out with Trump over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act [1].

The bill, if passed, could strip nearly 12 million Americans of their health insurance coverage, according to the Congressional Budget Office. It also proposes cuts to Medicaid payments to states that provide coverage to undocumented immigrants charged with specific crimes, an amendment proposed by Senator John Cornyn but not approved [1].

The bill's journey is far from over. After passing the Senate, it will return to the House of Representatives for a final vote. The original House version was passed with a razor-thin majority of one last week [3]. Fiscal hawks of the Republican-led House Freedom Caucus have threatened to torpedo the Senate package, which they say adds over $650 billion to the national deficit [3].

Despite the uncertainty, the White House remains confident that the bill will be on Trump's desk for a final signature by 4 July. Musk, however, has threatened to set up a new political party if the bill clears Congress [1].

References:
[1] https://www.aol.com/us-senate-begins-voting-trumps-141721678.html
[2] https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bjeomdxckl
[3] https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-06-29/world/world/Senate-Republicans-advance-Trumps-tax-and-spending-cuts-bill-after-dramatic-latenight-vote/2341083