The Senate's marathon voting session extended into the evening on Monday as Republican lawmakers look for a way to push a flagship tax and spending bill over the line.
Senate Majority Leader John THune of South Dakota said Monday his party was “figuring out how to get to the end game.”
Votes on a series of amendments, many of them brought by Democrats in opposition to the bill, are expected to stretch late into Monday or even Tuesday.
With the current Senate makeup at 53-47, Republicans can afford to lose only three votes for the bill to pass. In the event of a tie, Vice President JD Vance would cast the deciding vote.
Over the weekend, Senate Republicans cleared significant hurdles to advance the bill, despite efforts by Democrats to stall it.
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Senate Democrats forced a 16-hour reading of the bill, using the delay to criticize proposed cuts to Medicaid and public food assistance programs.
In a surprise move, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., announced he would oppose the legislation due to concerns over the proposed Medicaid changes. He also declared he will not seek reelection next year. President Trump responded by saying, "Great News! 'Senator' Thom Tillis will not be seeking reelection."
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky also opposes the bill over the effects it would have on the debt limit.
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The American Clean Power Association has also criticized the bill, pointing to provisions that would impose new taxes on wind and solar energy in the coming years.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the Senate version of the bill would add more than $3 trillion to the deficit over the next decade. While Republicans argue that tax cuts in the bill will fuel economic growth, the legislative path forward remains politically uncertain.
As the week unfolds, President Trump is expected to play a hands-on role in rallying support. If the bill passes the Senate, it will return to the House of Representatives, where Republicans hold a narrow majority.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday a heavily modified bill could take more time to finalize in that chamber.
"I have prevailed upon my Senate colleagues to please, please, please keep it as close to the House product as possible," Johnson said.
President Trump has said he wants the bill on his desk by the Fourth of July.
