By Brendan Scanland
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The fate of President Donald Trump’s sweeping domestic policy package — dubbed his “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” — now rests with the U.S. Senate.
On Monday morning, senators kicked off a high-stakes “vote-a-rama,” a marathon session consisting of an unlimited amount of an amendments to the bill, as Democrats fight to delay a final vote and Republican leaders look to shore up support. It is expected to last well into early Tuesday and comes as President Trump pushes Republicans to pass the massive 940-page legislative package by July 4.
The bill, which narrowly cleared the House last month, has undergone several changes in the Senate. Those changes would need House approval before the bill can go to the president’s desk.
The multi-trillion-dollar policy package seeks to lower federal taxes by extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and adding new measures like no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and tax relief for seniors. It also includes boosted spending for defense and border security — but comes with sharp cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation’s anti-hunger program.
More than 70 million Americans depend on Medicaid and over 42 million rely on SNAP for food assistance.
The narrowly passed House version is expected to save an estimated $625 billion in Medicaid spending by implementing strict new work requirements. The new requirements could remove an estimated 7.6 million people from the program over the next 10 years.
The Senate’s version maintains tough new work requirements for Medicaid, such as requiring able-bodied adults to work 80 hours a month until age 65 — with exemptions for parents and guardians of children under 14 and those with disabilities.
Critics warn that shifting tens of millions in federal SNAP funding to states could strain state budgets and leave vulnerable families without help.
But not every Republican is on board. Some hardliners, including Sen. Rand Paul (R- KY), are concerned about adding to the deficit. More moderate senators are concerned about the proposed cuts for Medicaid. If more than three GOP senators vote “no” on final passage, it could tank the measure. Democrats remain united in opposition — calling the plan a “big, ugly betrayal” that gives tax breaks to the rich while slashing services for low-income Americans.
“Senate Republicans have to decide: choose the American people or bow down to Donald Trump and his coterie of billionaires,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY.). “Because this bill, as we have said for months, steals people’s health care, jacks up their electricity bill, takes away their jobs — all to pay for tax breaks for billionaires.”
Most Republicans argue that the bill would provide much-needed reform to a program that has gone unchecked.
“We have never, ever done anything to reform and improve and strengthen these programs that are growing at an unsustainable rate that will wreck our economy and wreck our country if we don’t start making some changes,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD.). “And so, yes, there are some improvements and reforms to Medicaid to make it more efficient, to make sure that the people who are supposed to benefit from Medicaid do and that it doesn’t go to people who shouldn’t benefit from Medicaid.”
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) strongly opposes the bill but said Monday morning he does not believe a “vote-a-rama” is the best way to get the message across.
“I don’t think it’s really helpful,” said Fetterman. “I don’t understand, I don’t think people are going to really be paying attention if you’re doing 20, 30 or more kinds of amendments. I don’t really think there’s a lot of dignity in it.”
After the vote-a-rama, the Senate still has to actually pass the bill. If Republicans are successful, it would be sent back to the House for final consideration before heading to President Trump.
