Trump’s Controversial ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Passes Senate Vote, Set for Signing on July 4

Trump’s Controversial ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Passes Senate Vote, Set for Signing on July 4
[Washington, June 29, 2025] — The Republican-controlled U.S. Senate has voted to advance President Donald Trump’s highly controversial and much-discussed “Big Beautiful Bill,” bringing it a step closer to final approval. The bill passed its initial procedural hurdle by a narrow 51–49 vote, strengthening its prospects of passing into law in the coming days.

This legislation is considered the top legislative priority of the Trump administration. In the hours leading up to the vote, intense behind-the-scenes negotiations took place. Vice President J.D. Vance personally joined the talks to persuade dissenting Republicans to support the bill.

Overnight Monitoring from the Oval Office
A senior White House official reported that President Trump monitored the vote overnight from the Oval Office. His expectation is that the bill will pass both the Senate and the House of Representatives and be ready for his signature by July 4, ahead of Independence Day celebrations.

940-Page ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’
Al Jazeera’s correspondent Mike Hanna noted that the 940-page bill was released just before midnight on Friday, leaving many senators little time to grasp its full content.

Under the proposed legislation, an additional $150 billion will be allocated to military spending. The bill also funds border wall construction and mass deportation operations to curb illegal immigration. However, this funding is being redirected from existing Medicare and renewable energy budgets.

Tense Vote in the Senate
Currently, the Senate consists of 53 Republicans and 47 Democrats. All Democrats opposed the bill. At least two Republican senators — Thom Tillis and Rand Paul — sided with the Democrats in voting against it. Senator Ron Johnson initially voted ‘no’ but later switched to a ‘yes’ vote.

After prolonged debate and delays, the final vote was held. Senators Rick Scott, Mike Lee, and Cynthia Lummis engaged in late-night discussions seeking ways to reduce costs associated with the bill.

Democrats Cry Foul: “Midnight Ambush”
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of pushing the bill in the “dead of night” to pass it before the public could fully understand its implications. He claimed it would take 15 hours to read the bill aloud, which, in his words, would allow Americans to see how much debt it imposes on future generations.

Schumer said, “This bill proposes nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts — all to fund tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations.”