Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' Is 'Evolving'

The Senate is expected to grind through a rare weekend session as Republicans race to pass President Trump's package of tax breaks and spending cuts, aka his "big beautiful bill," by his July Fourth deadline. Republicans are using their congressional majorities to push aside Democratic opposition, but they've run into political and policy setbacks. Not all GOP lawmakers are on board with proposals to reduce spending on Medicaid, food stamps, and other programs as a way to help cover the cost of extending some $3.8 trillion in Trump tax breaks, per the AP.

• The 940-page bill was released shortly before midnight on Friday. Senators were expected to take a procedural vote on Saturday to begin debate on the legislation, but the timing was uncertain and there's a long path ahead, with at least 10 hours of debate time and an all-night voting session on countless amendments. Senate passage could be days away, and the bill would need to return to the House for final voting before it could reach the White House. "It's evolving," said Senate Majority Leader John Thune late Friday.

• The weekend session could be a make-or-break moment for Trump's party, which has invested much of its political capital on his signature domestic policy plan. Trump is pushing Congress to wrap it up, and at recent White House events, Trump has admonished the "grandstanders" among GOP holdouts. "We can get it done," Trump wrote in a Friday social media post. "It will be a wonderful Celebration for our Country."
• The legislation is an ambitious but complicated series of GOP priorities. At its core, it would make permanent many of the tax breaks from Trump's first term that would otherwise expire by year's end if Congress fails to act, resulting in a potential tax increase on Americans. The bill would add new breaks, including no taxes on tips, and commit $350 billion to national security, including for Trump's mass deportation agenda.
• Some GOP lawmakers, however, say the cuts go too far, particularly for people receiving health care through Medicaid. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Republicans are rushing to finish the bill before the public fully knows what's in it. "There's no good reason for Republicans to chase a silly deadline," Schumer said. With narrow Republican majorities in the House and Senate, leaders need almost every lawmaker on board.

More here.