Trump Urges Senate to Finalize 'Big Beautiful Bill' Ahead of Deadline
President Donald Trump intensified his call on Republican senators Tuesday to quickly pass a major tax-cut and spending bill known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. As internal divisions between party hardliners and moderates widen over spending cuts, Trump pressed lawmakers to reach an agreement before the July 4 Independence Day holiday.
Division Among Senate Republicans Creates Uncertainty
Republican senators remain split on key provisions of the legislation. While some want to protect social programs like Medicaid for low-income Americans, conservative factions are demanding deep spending reductions to slow the growth of the federal deficit. The debate has stretched out, with some members predicting a possible delay until August.
Underscoring the urgency, Trump tweeted, "To my friends in the Senate, lock yourself in a room if you must, don’t go home, and GET THE DEAL DONE THIS WEEK. Work with the House so they can pick it up, and pass it, IMMEDIATELY. NO ONE GOES ON VACATION UNTIL IT’S DONE."
Treasury Secretary Remains Optimistic Despite Challenges
Attending a Senate Republican lunch, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed confidence that Congress is on track to meet the looming July 4 deadline. He added, "I am confident that what the Senate passes over to the House will move through the House very quickly."
The Senate version includes extensions of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, new funding for immigration enforcement, and increased military spending. However, it would also raise the federal debt ceiling by an additional $5 trillion, intensifying pressure to prevent a potentially catastrophic government default later this summer.
Bessent warned, "We’re getting close to the warning track."
Debt Concerns Fuel Opposition
The House-approved version from last month is projected to increase the federal deficit by at least $2.8 trillion, even accounting for economic growth. Independent forecasts suggest the Senate bill could be even more costly.
Senate Democratic leader criticized the plan, stating, "Republicans know their plan is a debt buster but they don’t seem to care. They’re actually putting this country in debt with the tax cuts."
Senate Leadership Seeks Swift Passage, Faces Procedural Hurdles
Senate Majority Leader John Thune remains optimistic, claiming the chamber is positioned to approve the bill this week. House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed intentions to promptly consider it afterward.
Thune remarked, "Hopefully, when push comes to shove and everybody has to say ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ we’ll get the number of votes that we need," highlighting the broad Republican priorities embedded in the legislation.
Parliamentarian Decisions Complicate Progress
The bill’s advancement has been complicated by rulings from the Senate parliamentarian, whose role is to ensure legislative rules compliance. Several provisions—such as cuts to financial regulators, relaxed environmental reviews for offshore drilling, reductions in food assistance programs, and removal of green tax credits—have been disallowed under Senate procedure.
These rulings alarm House Republican hardliners, who have threatened to block the legislation if such spending cuts do not return when the bill revisits the House.
Representative Keith Self, a leading conservative voice, said, "It looks to me like the parliamentarian is killing the bill. She’s taking out all of the conservative spending cuts that we very carefully, with a razor’s edge, passed in the House."
Nonetheless, Majority Leader Thune has rejected the idea of overruling the parliamentarian, emphasizing the importance of maintaining Senate integrity.
Republicans have sought ways to modify the language of previously blocked provisions to gain the parliamentarian's approval, trying to save the core elements of the bill.
The Road Ahead
As the congressional deadline approaches, party leaders face mounting pressure to navigate internal divisions and procedural challenges in order to pass a landmark bill that could reshape federal spending and tax policy for years to come.
