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Senate begins debate on Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'

PHOTO: The U.S. Capitol building after sunrise as clerks continue to read aloud President Donald Trump's 940-page spending and tax bill in the Senate chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 29, 2025.
35:28
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
President Trump speaks at 'Salute to America' celebration in Iowa
By David Brennan, Alexandra Hutzler, Ivan Pereira
Last Updated: June 29, 2025, 10:54 AM

The Senate on Sunday afternoon began debate on President Donald Trump's megabill for his second term priorities after a dramatic procedural vote late Saturday night.

There is up to 20 hours of debate but while Democrats will use their allotted 10 hours, Republicans are expected not to. After that, likely in the early hours of Monday, senators will begin offering amendments to the bill.

Overnight Sunday, the Senate parliamentarian ruled more provisions out of order with the reconciliation process Republicans are using to pass the bill with a simple majority. If it passes in the Senate, the bill goes back to the House to consider changes the Senate made to the House's version of the bill, which passed by one vote.

Latest headlines:

  • Senate begins debate Trump’s megabill
  • CBO estimates ‘big, beautiful bill’ would add $3.3T to debt
  • Trump once thought Iran would join Abraham Accords
Here's how the news is developing.

Jun 29, 2025 10:54 AM

Trump takes victory lap after Senate 'One Big Beautiful Bill' vote

President Donald Trump celebrated the Senate's advancement of the "One Big Beautiful Bill" and acknowledged earlier holdouts -- Sens. Rick Scott, Ron Johnson, Mike Lee and Cynthia Lummis -- for casting their votes in favor of the bill in social media posts early Sunday.

PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 27, 2025.
Ken Cedeno/Reuters
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 27, 2025.
Ken Cedeno/Reuters

"Tonight, we saw a GREAT VICTORY in the Senate with the 'GREAT, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL,' but, it wouldn't have happened without the Fantastic Work of Senator Rick Scott, Senator Mike Lee, Senator Ron Johnson and Senator Cynthia Lummis," Trump wrote.

"They, along with all of the other Republican Patriots who voted for the Bill, are people who genuinely love our Country!" he added.

In a second post, Trump wrote, "VERY PROUD OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TONIGHT. GOD BLESS YOU ALL!"

In a previous post late on Saturday night, Trump urged the Republican Party to unite and expressed frustration over "grandstanders."

"Republicans must remember that they are fighting against a very evil, corrupt and, in many ways, incompetent (Policywise!) group of people, who would rather see our Country "go down in flames" than do the right thing and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump wrote, suggesting that Democrats are more united.

"The one thing they do have is an ability to stick together, and vote as one group (They don't have GRANDSTANDERS!)," he continued.

-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh


Jun 29, 2025 4:57 AM

Republican holdouts negotiated with leaders on deficit, Medicaid

After a bloc of four conservative "Big Beautiful Bill" holdouts finally voted late on Saturday night to move the legislation in a direction towards final passage, they claimed that negotiations with Republican leaders surrounding deficit reduction and Medicaid changes helped them feel "more comfortable" with its advancement.

"It was a beautiful night for the Big Beautiful Bill," Sen. Eric Schmitt, a key negotiator during meetings on Saturday, said after the vote.

PHOTO: Sen. Ron Johnson is pictured on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., on June 28, 2025.
Annabelle Gordon/Reuters
Sen. Ron Johnson is pictured on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., on June 28, 2025.
Annabelle Gordon/Reuters

Still, Sens. Ron Johnson -- who flipped his vote, Rick Scott, Cynthia Lummis and Mike Lee did not tell reporters whether they'd support the final bill, even after huddling with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Vice President J.D. Vance, Majority Whip John Barrasso and some others during the over three hour vote.

Most of the four conservatives were tight-lipped about their negotiations with leadership after voting, but Johnson said that they were promised a vote on an amendment that would lower the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage match provided to able-bodied, childless people who are new enrollees to Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act.

"We want to preserve Medicaid for disabled children," Johnson said. "I never had a problem with the House bill in terms of avoiding a massive tax increase, default funding for the border, for defense, the spending reductions they did get. My big beef there is…again, we still have to do so much more, because it's hard, okay, because it's such an enormous mess," he added, blaming years of Democratic policies like Obamacare.

Johnson said that the promised amendment was Scott's idea.

Lummis and Lee said that talks over their concerns about further deficit reductions and tax cuts help them get to a "yes" vote.

"We had an internal discussion about a strategy to achieve more savings, more deficit reduction," Lee said after the vote, adding that he's "more comfortable" now with the bill.

All agreed on the need for "as many tax cuts" and "as much spending clarity" as possible, Lummis said.

"I want to thank Vice President Vance for coming up and President Trump for his help in getting to yes, and we've got a good product, and we're going to promote it and pass it this week," she said.

-ABC News' Isabella Murray


Jun 29, 2025 3:25 AM

'One Big Beautiful Bill' clears 1st procedural hurdle 51-49 after dramatic vote that lasted almost 4 hours

The Senate voted to advance the "One Big Beautiful Bill," kicking off a lengthy process that GOP leadership hopes will end in its final passage.

For much of the night, it was believed that Vice President JD Vance would be required to cast a tie-breaking vote.

But at the last minute, Sen. Ron Johnson switched his no vote to a yes, giving Republican senators the votes they needed to advance the legislation.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer also made official his request for the clerk to read the roughly 1,000 page bill in its entirely. She started at 11:08 p.m.

It could take her 15 hours to read every line, according to estimates.

Just because Senate Republicans mustered up the votes to get the process going doesn't mean they're in the clear.

There are a number of Republican senators who said they'd vote to advance the bill today but have not committed to casting a vote on final passage.

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin, Isabella Murray and Mariam Khan



Jun 29, 2025 3:05 AM

Senate in a state of paralysis as procedural vote on 'One Big Beautiful Bill' hangs open on the floor

The Senate floor is currently in a bit of a state of paralysis as Senate Republicans try to eke out the necessary votes to begin debate on the "One Big Beautiful Bill.'

The vote tally on the floor stands at 47-50. Three Republicans -- Sens. Mike Lee, Rick Scott and Cynthia Lummis -- still need to cast votes. All three of them will need to vote in favor of this bill in order to keep it moving forward.

The procedural vote on whether to begin debate on the bill has been open for nearly two hours. Vice President JD Vance arrived over an hour ago to prepare to cast the tie-breaking vote.

Even if Republicans get the necessary votes to proceed tonight, there's no guarantee they'll have enough votes when it comes to final passage. Some senators who cast votes to proceed tonight have been non-committal about how they'll vote on final passage.

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin


Jun 24, 2025 12:27 PM

Trump and Netanyahu spoke on Tuesday morning: Sources

According to multiple sources familiar with the phone call, President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Tuesday morning following Trump's post on Truth Social where he wrote: "ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS."

A White House source said Trump was exceptionally firm and direct with Netanyahu about what needed to happen to sustain the ceasefire, and Netanyahu understood the severity of the situation and the concerns President Trump expressed.

-ABC News' Katherine Faulders


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