The Senate voted 51–49 late Saturday to begin formal debate on President Donald Trump’s 940-page “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” clearing the first major hurdle toward final passage.
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Key GOP flips: Sen. Ron Johnson switched to “yes” in the final seconds, joining Mike Lee, Rick Scott, and Cynthia Lummis to push the motion over the top.
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Opposition line-up: All Democrats, independents, and GOP Senators Rand Paul and Thom Tillis voted “no.” Vice President JD Vance remained on standby but was not needed to break a tie.
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What’s next: Minority Leader Chuck Schumer immediately forced a full reading of the 900-plus pages—expected to last more than 10 hours—followed by up to 20 hours of debate and a marathon vote-a-rama on amendments.
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House–Senate gap: The House passed its version weeks ago; the Senate draft carries changes, so the two chambers must reconcile a final text before sending it to Trump by his July 4 target.
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Lee’s concession: Mike Lee dropped his contested public-land sale provision, removing one major GOP sticking point.
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GOP tension: Trump publicly jabbed Sen. Tillis for opposing the motion over Medicaid cuts and questioned “what is wrong” with Sen. Paul, who cited debt concerns.
Republican leaders now race to satisfy Trump’s deadline, while Democrats vow to extract maximum procedural pain through amendment votes and extended floor time.