Senators are now working to pass the wildly unpopular “Big Beautiful” reconciliation package after a period in which it seemed it had encountered nearly existential challenges. Republicans hope to bring it across the finish line and send it over to the House before next week.
Late Saturday, the bill cleared a key procedural hurdle, the motion to proceed, with nearly all Republicans voting in favor. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC), likely Senate Republican’s most vulnerable member to a Democratic challenger in 2026, and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) voted against the motion. Vice President JD Vance was on hand to brake a tie, but wasn’t even needed.
Senate Republicans rewrote key provisions of the bill in the last few days after Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough rejected many of the proposed Medicaid cuts, forcing their hand. The Medicaid cuts remain in the bill — the new text keeps the controversial cut to the provider tax, pushing back the implementation — as well as deeper cuts to clean energy and a significant increase in funding for the Department of Homeland Security to cover new detention centers and deportation agents.
Many senators who had previously expressed opposition to the bill nonetheless voted for the motion to proceed, which advanced the bill toward a final vote. Democrats are now taking various steps to delay the bill’s final vote. Once it occurs, the House will have to vote on the changes the Senate made to the version it passed.
Follow along with our updates here:
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Senators are now working to pass the wildly unpopular “Big Beautiful” reconciliation package after a period in which it seemed it had encountered nearly existential challenges. Republicans hope to bring it across the finish line and send it over to the House before next week.
Late Saturday, the bill cleared a key procedural hurdle, the motion to proceed, with nearly all Republicans voting in favor. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC), likely Senate Republican’s most vulnerable member to a Democratic challenger in 2026, and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) voted against the motion. Vice President JD Vance was on hand to brake a tie, but wasn’t even needed.
Senate Republicans rewrote key provisions of the bill in the last few days after Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough rejected many of the proposed Medicaid cuts, forcing their hand. The Medicaid cuts remain in the bill — the new text keeps the controversial cut to the provider tax, pushing back the implementation — as well as deeper cuts to clean energy and a significant increase in funding for the Department of Homeland Security to cover new detention centers and deportation agents.
Many senators who had previously expressed opposition to the bill nonetheless voted for the motion to proceed, which advanced the bill toward a final vote. Democrats are now taking various steps to delay the bill’s final vote. Once it occurs, the House will have to vote on the changes the Senate made to the version it passed.
Follow along with our updates here: