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 could be up to 20 hours of debate. While Democrats will use their allotted 10 hours, Republicans are expected not to. The Senate will begin its “vote-a-rama” at 9 a.m. Monday, during which time senators will offer 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 Developments
Jun 30, 3:31 AM
House GOP leaders say Wednesday is earliest chance for megabill vote
House GOP leaders informed lawmakers Sunday night that their earliest vote on the “One Big Beautiful Bill” would occur Wednesday morning, as the Senate works through the measure and top Republicans aim to meet a self-imposed Independence Day deadline.
“Members are advised that votes are now expected in the House as early as 9 a.m. Wednesday, July 2. Please stay tuned to future updates for additional information regarding this week’s schedule,” a notice from Majority Whip Tom Emmer’s office said.
Republican leaders have told members they will receive 48 hours’ notice before a vote is called and will have 72 hours to review the bill text.
A lot needs to happen before the House — which was supposed to be out of session this week for the holiday — can even hold a floor vote on the megabill.
First, the Senate needs to pass the bill and send it back to the lower chamber. Then, the Rules Committee will convene to advance the bill to the floor — which is expected to occur as early as Tuesday.
Speaker Mike Johnson and GOP leaders have been working through the weekend to lock down the votes even as several lawmakers expressed opposition to the Senate’s version, which is still not finalized. Johnson can only afford to lose three defections if all members are voting and present.
California moderate Republican Rep. David Valadao said he will vote “no” given the Medicaid changes in the Senate bill.
“I support the reasonable provisions in H.R. 1 that protect Medicaid’s long-term viability and ensure the program continues to serve our most vulnerable, but I will not support a final bill that eliminates vital funding streams our hospitals rely on, including provider taxes and state directed payments, or any provisions that punish expansion states,” Valadao said in a statement Saturday.
Several conservatives like Reps. Chip Roy of Texas, Josh Breechen of Oklahoma and Eric Burlison of Missouri have also expressed opposition to the Senate’s bill.
“I will not negotiate via X. But it’s important to know that jamming us with a bill before we’ve had any chance to review the implications of major changes & re-writes, fluid scores, a high likelihood of violating the house framework (deficits), & tons of swamp buy-offs is bad,” Roy said in a post on X Saturday.
House GOP leaders hosted a conference call Saturday instructing members to not publicize their concerns with the bill, according to multiple sources.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Jun 30, 2:35 AM
Senate Republicans to begin vote-a-rama on Monday
Senate Republicans announced Sunday that they planned a brief pause on the precession of events toward a final vote on the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
Senators will begin their vote-a-rama at 9 a.m. Monday, instead of the original early early morning start time that was anticipated. In the meantime, debate of the bill will continue on the Senate floor until senators finish or their time expires.
Once the vote-a-rama kicks off, senators will be allowed to offer an unlimited number amendments to the bill. When this ends, they’ll take a vote of final passage. It will need 51 votes to pass.
-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin
Jun 29, 9:32 PM
Sen. Tillis rails against Trump’s megabill’s impact on Medicaid
A fiery Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., took to the Senate floor on Sunday evening to explain his vote from Saturday against the motion to proceed on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, condemning the legislation and saying it breaks President Donald Trump’s promises to protect Medicaid.
“What do I tell 663,000 people in two years, three years, when President Trump breaks his promise by pushing them off of Medicaid because the funding is not there anymore, guys?” Tillis asked at one point.
“The people in the White House advising the president, they’re not telling him that the effect of this bill is to break a promise.”
Tillis, who had earlier on Sunday announced his plans to retire from the Senate following attacks from Trump over his decision to oppose the GOP megabill, also said that the president’s self-imposed July 4th deadline to pass the legislation was “artificial.”
“I believe that we can make sure that we do not break the promise of Donald J Trump– that he’s made to the people on Medicaid today,” Tillis continued. “But what we’re doing because we’ve got a view on an artificial deadline on July 4 that means nothing but another date and time we could take the time to get this right, if we lay down the house mark of the Medicaid bill and fix it.”
“What’s wrong with actually understanding what this bill does?” the senator asked.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
Jun 29, 5:57 PM
Trump reminds Republican senators of reelection stakes amid debate over ‘big beautiful bill’
As the Senate officially began debating the “big beautiful bill,” President Donald Trump took to his social media platform on Sunday, advising Republican senators not to “go too crazy!” and suggesting that they still need to be reelected.
“For all cost cutting Republicans, of which I am one, REMEMBER, you still have to get reelected,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Don’t go too crazy! We will make it all up, times 10, with GROWTH, more than ever before,” he added.
The president’s comments come as a number of Republican senators who voted to advance the bill on Saturday said they are still considering how they’ll vote on its final passage.
-ABC News’ Kelsey Walsh
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