Trump's $5 Trillion Bill Passes Senate Vote 51-49

President Donald Trump’s $5 trillion bill, dubbed the “big, beautiful bill,” successfully passed its first procedural vote in the Senate with a narrow margin of 51 to 49. This vote was a culmination of intense internal Republican negotiations and last-minute changes that secured the necessary support to advance the legislation.

The vote was closely watched as every Democrat and two Republicans, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Rand Paul of Kentucky, voted against the bill. The final votes came from three Republican holdouts—Mike Lee of Utah, Rick Scott of Florida, and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming—who initially opposed the bill but eventually voted in favor. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who had been vocal in his criticism of the bill, also flipped his vote to yes after extended negotiations, ensuring a clean 51 votes and avoiding the need for Vice President JD Vance to break a tie.

Trump’s involvement was crucial in the final hours leading up to the vote. He spent Friday and Saturday making phone calls to key senators, including Tillis, to secure their support. Despite Trump’s efforts, Tillis remained steadfast in his opposition, citing concerns over the Medicaid language in the bill. Trump’s public call for Tillis to face a primary challenge added to the pressure, but Tillis stood firm in his decision.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Scott were seen at the White House in talks with Vance, Lee, Lummis, and John Thune, the Senate Majority Leader. These negotiations resulted in a deal that pushed the bill forward. Trump’s main objective is to sign the bill before July 4, the self-imposed deadline for Republicans. Johnson expressed confidence that the Senate version of the bill would be passed by the House, although several House Republicans have already raised concerns, particularly over the deep Medicaid cuts.

On the Democratic side, the strategy was to delay the process as much as possible. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that Democrats would force the entire 940-page bill to be read out loud on the Senate floor, a process expected to take around 15 hours. This was followed by 20 hours of official debate and an all-night amendment vote marathon known as vote-a-rama. Democrats aimed to highlight and potentially amend the most controversial parts of the bill, including changes to energy tax credits, food assistance, and Medicaid.

The Medicaid provisions were a significant point of contention. A late-night revision on Friday included a delay to the new cap on provider taxes, which affects how states fund their Medicaid programs. The revision also increased a rural hospital assistance fund from $15 billion to $25 billion, which helped secure the support of Josh Hawley of Missouri. However, other senators, including Susan Collins of Maine, remained unsatisfied with the Medicaid language and planned to offer amendments in the next round.

Tillis continued to oppose the bill, stating that it would result in tens of billions of dollars in lost funding for North Carolina, potentially forcing the state to make painful decisions regarding Medicaid coverage. Rand Paul, Ron Johnson, and Rick Scott had been critical of the bill’s spending for weeks, with Paul specifically opposing the $5 trillion debt ceiling hike included in the legislation.

The Senate version of the bill also includes changes to clean energy rules to win over House Republicans. This includes phasing out Biden-era clean energy tax credits, which sparked backlash from figures like Elon Musk, who called the bill “utter madness” and “political suicide for the Republican Party.”