Optimistic Trump Claims Spending Bill ‘Moving Along Nicely’—As Voting Continues Today

Topline

The Senate began another round of voting on amendments that could make significant changes to President Donald Trump’s signature budget and spending bill as it races to pass the legislation before a July 4 deadline.

Key Facts

The Senate began voting on amendments to the bill Monday morning after voting to advance the bill late Saturday night in a 51-49 vote, with two Republicans (Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.) joining Democrats opposing the move.

Trump immediately claimed victory after the procedural vote, calling it the vote a “GREAT VICTORY” in a post on Truth Social, though the bill still faces significant hurdles as amendment voting begins.

Trump early Monday declared the bill “is moving along nicely!”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Monday she would offer an amendment to allow wind and solar construction projects to become eligible for Inflation Reduction Act tax credits at their start date, rather than granting eligibility only to projects placed in service by the end of 2027, Politico reported.

Among some of the most high-profile amendments under consideration include one from Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., to block a significant portion of federal Medicaid funding for some states under Obamacare, a provision Scott estimates would reduce Medicaid spending by another $313 billion over 10 years.

Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, are also expected to propose an amendment that would reduce a ban on new state laws to regulate artificial intelligence from 10 years to five years, Politico reported.

Republicans have sparred over provisions linked to Medicaid cuts, an increased debt ceiling and tax deductions in recent weeks, with Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruling against Medicaid provisions that sought to pull the federal healthcare program from undocumented migrants and gender-affirming care, among other changes.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Sunday the bill would raise the national debt by at least $3.3 trillion over the next 10 years—underscoring a major concern among staunchly fiscal conservative lawmakers who are worried about the bill’s price tag.

Republicans can afford to lose three votes from party members in the Senate if all Democrats oppose the bill.

What’s In Trump’s Spending Bill?

Trump’s mega bill proposes $4 trillion in tax cuts and calls for an extension on the cuts made by Trump during his first term. It carves out $46.5 billion for the construction of the president’s border wall and over $15 billion for border security. Reductions to student loan repayment options are also included, as are new or more pricey fees for immigration services including work authorization applications. Americans will be able to deduct up to $25,000 in tip wages through 2028 under the bill, which also creates a $12,500 overtime deduction. Large cuts to Medicaid worth hundreds of billions of dollars were proposed in the House version of the bill as a way to offset the costs of the proposed tax cuts, but some of those efforts were blocked by the Senate parliamentarian this week. Conversely, child tax credits are slated to increase under the bill from $2,000 to $2,200 per child alongside inflation adjustments to the credit amount after 2025.

Who Has Opposed The Bill?

While Democrats are poised to completely oppose the bill, some Republicans have taken issue with its provisions and may not be on board for the vote. Paul told NBC News on Friday he would reconsider opposing the bill if the debt ceiling hike was removed. Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, had not explicitly said how they would vote prior to the Senate convening Saturday, though they have both actively opposed a provision in the bill that bars Medicaid funding from abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told Fox News on Saturday he would vote against the initial motion to debate the 940-page bill, saying he would need more time to review the updated version published Friday night—though he ended up voting to advance. Tillis said in a statement Saturday he will not support the bill over its changes to Medicaid.

Chief Critic

Elon Musk, who had a recent falling out with Trump over the bill, weighed in on it Saturday afternoon, calling it “utterly insane and disgusting” and saying it “will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!” Musk ranted against the bill after it was amended to end an electric vehicle tax credit at the end of September, opposed to the end of this year.

Tangent

Tillis announced Sunday he would not seek reelection in 2026, following attacks from Trump over his vote. Tillis said in a statement the decision was “not a hard one” since he’ll be able to spend more time with his family and not have to focus on “navigating the political theatre and partisan gridlock in Washington.” The move gives Tillis an avenue to openly oppose Trump without political risk.

What To Watch For

Trump and Republican leadership have indicated their self-imposed July 4 deadline could be missed. The president, who threatened to pull Congress’ July 4 recess if the bill is not passed by then, said Friday the deadline is “not the end all.” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Friday it is possible the deadline is missed, but noted, “I don’t even want to accept that as an option right now.”