President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful” bill cleared a critical hurdle Saturday night after the Senate voted largely along party lines to start debate on the sweeping tax and immigration package.
Senators voted 51 to 49 to advance the bill following Republican Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Rick Scott of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming throwing their support behind opening debate on the measure. Every Senate Democrat voted “no,” delivering on Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer’s pledge that his entire caucus would oppose the president’s domestic policy bill.
Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina voted against the motion to proceed, citing deep substantive concerns with the bill. Senate Majority Leader John Thune held the vote open for more than three hours as Senate GOP leadership and Vice President JD Vance lobbied GOP holdouts to back the measure.
Johnson initially voted against the motion to proceed, arguing the bill needed to incorporate more deficit reduction and that the quick vote did not allow for sufficient debate on the fiscal impacts of the budget package. Senate GOP leadership unveiled revised text shortly before midnight Friday.
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