By LISA MASCARO, KEVIN FREKING and JOEY CAPPELLETTI
WASHINGTON (AP) â After a weekend of setbacks, the Senate will try to sprint ahead Monday on President Donald Trumpâs big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts despite a series of challenges, including the sudden announcement from one GOP senator that he wonât run for reelection after opposing the package over its Medicaid health care cuts.
An all-night session to consider an endless stream of proposed amendments to the package, in whatâs called a vote-a-rama, was abruptly postponed, and itâs now scheduled to launch as soon as the Senate gavels open. With Democrats united against the Republican presidentâs legislation and eagerly lined up to challenge it, the voting could take all day.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said the âhardest choicesâ for Republicans are still to come. His side plans to bring âamendment after amendment after amendment to the floor, so Republicans can defend their billionaire tax cuts and so they can try to explain their massive cuts to Medicaid to people back home.â
The hours ahead will be pivotal for the Republicans, who have control of the Congress and are racing against Trumpâs Fourth of July deadline to wrap up work. The 940-page âOne Big Beautiful Bill Act,â as it is now formally titled, has consumed the Congress as its shared priority with the president, with no room politically to fail, even as not all Republicans are on board.
A new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law. It also said the package would increase the deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion over the decade.
House Speaker Mike Johnsonâs leadership team has recalled lawmakers back to Washington for voting in the House as soon as Wednesday, if the legislation can first clear the Senate.
But the outcome remains uncertain, especially after a weekend of work in the Senate that brought less visible progress on securing enough Republican support, over Democratic opposition, for passage.
However, some provisions in the bill were found to be in violation of the rules by the Senate parliamentarian.
Whatâs included in the comprehensive bill
The Senate bill encompasses approximately $4 trillion in tax cuts, making President Trumpâs 2017 tax rates permanent, which would expire if Congress does not take action by the end of the year. It also incorporates new tax cuts campaigned for by Trump, such as exempting tips from taxes.
Moreover, the Senate package plans to revoke billions of dollars in green energy tax credits, which Democrats argue will negatively impact wind and solar investments nationwide. It proposes $1.2 trillion in cuts, mainly affecting Medicaid and food stamps, by implementing work requirements, tightening eligibility criteria, and altering federal reimbursements to states.
Furthermore, the bill allocates $350 billion for border and national security, including funds for deportations, with some of the funding coming from new fees imposed on immigrants.
Democrats prepared for opposition
Although unable to prevent the bill’s progression, Democrats, as the minority party in Congress, are utilizing available tactics to delay and prolong the legislative process.
Democrats compelled a complete reading of the bill, which lasted for 16 hours. Subsequently, Democratic senators dominated Sunday’s debate with speeches, while Republicans predominantly remained passive.
âReckless and irresponsible,â criticized Senator Gary Peters from Michigan.
âA boon for the wealthy elite,â remarked Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent aligned with Democrats.
Senator Ben Ray Lujan from New Mexico urged adherence to the biblical principle of treating others as you would want to be treated, as the debate extended past midnight on Sunday.
Senator Patty Murray of Washington, the leading Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, expressed apprehension about the accounting methodology adopted by Republicans. They consider Trump’s first-term tax breaks as “current policy,” with the extension costs not factored into deficit calculations.
âIn my 33 years in the Senate, such practices have never been employed,â stated Murray, the longest-serving Democrat on the Budget Committee.
She emphasized that this form of “magical math” would not be acceptable to Americans managing their household finances.
âTry playing that game with your constituents back in your districts,â she challenged.
Contributions to this report were made by Associated Press writers Ali Swenson, Fatima Hussein, and Michelle L. Price.
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