In a dramatic overnight session, the U.S. Senate engaged in a 21-hour marathon of back-to-back amendment votes on the nearly 1,000-page "One Big Beautiful Bill Act", a cornerstone of President Donald Trump’s economic and political agenda.
The sprawling legislation includes major increases in funding for border security, defense, and energy production, while proposing steep cuts to healthcare and food support programs. However, it has sparked intense division among Republicans and drawn heavy criticism from Democrats and even high-profile former allies of the president, News.Az reports, citing BBC.
At the center of the storm is the nation’s soaring $36 trillion debt. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that if passed, the bill could add another $3.3 trillion to the national deficit, largely due to the extension of $3.8 trillion in Trump-era tax breaks.
Despite controlling both chambers of Congress, Republicans remain deeply divided over how aggressively to slash welfare programs to fund the proposed tax cuts. The infighting has led to a drawn-out and contentious amendment process known as a “vote-a-rama,” which began Monday night and stretched well into Tuesday afternoon.
Senator John Cornyn introduced a failed amendment aimed at reducing Medicaid payments to states that provide healthcare to undocumented immigrants charged with specific crimes. Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers fought unsuccessfully to block cuts to rural hospitals and food assistance programs.
Senator Ed Markey warned that rural communities would be devastated by the proposed healthcare cuts, saying the bill could force many small hospitals to shut down. Democrats also sounded alarms over estimates that nearly 12 million Americans could lose health coverage under the plan.
“This bill is a moral monstrosity,” said Senator Chris Murphy in the early hours of Tuesday. “After 21 hours of voting, Republicans still don’t have the 50 votes they need because they know the American people see this for what it is.”
Adding to the political drama, tech billionaire Elon Musk, once a key Trump ally and former head of the Department of Government Efficiency, publicly condemned the bill. “Republicans campaigned on reducing government spending, then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history,” Musk posted on social media. His falling out with Trump over the legislation has widened an already growing rift within the GOP’s conservative base.
If the bill is approved in the Senate, it will head back to the House of Representatives for a final vote. Should it pass both chambers, it will then go to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law.
As the Senate braces for more wrangling and last-minute negotiations, the fate of one of the most consequential spending bills in recent U.S. history remains uncertain.
