WASHINGTON: US Senate Republicans passed President Donald Trump\u2019s massive tax-and-spending bill on Tuesday by the narrowest of margins, advancing a package that would slash taxes, reduce social safety net programs and boost military and immigration enforcement spending while adding $3.3 trillion to the national debt.<\/p>\n
The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives for possible final approval, though a handful of Republicans there have already voiced opposition to some of the Senate provisions.<\/p>\n
Trump wants to sign it into law by the July 4 Independence Day holiday, and House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement that he aimed to meet that deadline.<\/p>\n
The measure would extend Trump\u2019s 2017 tax cuts, give new tax breaks for income from tips and overtime pay and increase spending on the military and immigration enforcement. It also would cut about $930 billion of spending on the Medicaid health program and food aid for low-income Americans and repeal many of Democratic former President Joe Biden\u2019s green-energy incentives.<\/p>\n
The legislation, which has exposed Republican divides over the nation\u2019s fast-growing $36.2 trillion debt, would raise the federal government\u2019s self-imposed debt ceiling by $5 trillion. Congress must raise the cap in the coming months or risk a devastating default.<\/p>\n
The Senate passed the measure in a 51-50 vote with Vice President JD Vance breaking a tie after three Republicans \u2014 Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky \u2014 joined all 47 Democrats in voting against the bill.<\/p>\n
The vote followed an all-night debate in which Republicans grappled with the bill\u2019s price tag and its impact on the US health care system.
\nMuch of the late horse-trading was aimed at winning over Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who had signaled she would vote against the bill without significant alterations.<\/p>\n
The final Senate bill included two provisions that helped secure her vote: one that sends more food-aid funding to Alaska and several other states, and another providing $50 billion to help rural hospitals cope with the sweeping cuts to Medicaid. Following the vote, Murkowski issued a statement calling it one of the hardest of her Senate career said she had voted yes despite some continued reservations. \u201cThis has been an awful process \u2014 a frantic rush to meet an artificial deadline that has tested every limit of this institution,\u201d she said. \u201cThis bill needs more work across chambers and is not ready for the President\u2019s desk.\u201d<\/p>\n
The vote in the House, where Republicans hold a 220-212 majority, is likely to be close. A White House official told reporters that Trump would be \u201cdeeply involved\u201d in pushing House Republicans to approve the bill.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a great bill. There is something for everyone,\u201d Trump said at an event in Florida on Tuesday. \u201cAnd I think it\u2019s going to go very nicely in the House.\u201d<\/p>\n
An initial version passed with only two votes to spare in May, and several House Republicans have said they do not support the Senate version, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates will add $800 billion more to the national debt than the House version.<\/p>\n
Republicans have struggled to balance conservatives\u2019 demands for deeper spending cuts to reduce the impact on the deficit with moderate lawmakers\u2019 concerns that the Medicaid cuts could hurt their constituents, including service cutbacks in rural areas.<\/p>\n
The House Freedom Caucus, a group of hard-line conservatives who repeatedly threatened to withhold their support for the tax bill, has criticized the Senate version\u2019s price tag.
\n\u201cThere\u2019s a significant number who are concerned,\u201d Republican Representative Chip Roy, a member of the Freedom Caucus, said of the Senate bill.<\/p>\n
A group of more moderate House Republicans, especially those who represent lower-income areas, have objected to the steeper Medicaid cuts in the Senate\u2019s plan.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Republicans have faced separate concerns from a handful of House Republicans from high-tax states, including New York, New Jersey and California, who have demanded a larger tax break for state and local tax payments. The legislation has also drawn criticism from billionaire Elon Musk, the former Trump ally who has railed against the bill\u2019s enormous cost and vowed to back challengers to Republican lawmakers in next year\u2019s midterm elections.<\/p>\n
House Democrats are expected to remain unanimously opposed to the bill.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the largest assault on American health care in history,\u201d House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters. \u201cIt\u2019s the largest assault on nutrition in American history.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Senate bill would deliver some of its biggest benefits to the top 1 percent of US households, earning $663,000 or more in 2025, according to the Tax Foundation. These high earners would gain the most from the bill\u2019s tax cuts, the CBO has said. Independent analysts have said the bill\u2019s tightening of eligibility for food and health safety net programs would effectively reduce poor Americans\u2019 incomes and increase their costs for food and health care.<\/p>\n
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office forecast that nearly 12 million more people would become uninsured under the Senate plan. The bill\u2019s increase in the national debt effectively serves as a wealth transfer from younger to older Americans, nonpartisan analysts have said.<\/p>\n
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the vote \u201ccovered this chamber in shame,\u201d adding that the bill would be \u201cripping health care away from millions of Americans, taking the food out of the mouths of hungry kids.\u201d<\/p>\n
Republicans rejected the cost estimate generated by the CBO\u2019s longstanding methodology and have argued the Medicaid cuts would only root out \u201cwaste, fraud and abuse\u201d from the system.
\nFollowing the vote, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the bill \u201cwill permanently extend tax relief for hard-working Americans…that will spur economic growth and more jobs and opportunities for American workers.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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