This was a legislative odyssey that encompassed a wide range of experiences. Intraparty drama, whining, and an all-nighter that no one wanted, but this is the Senate. Everything moves slowly, procedures clog up the spot, and it was made a million times worse with Sen. Chuck Schumer objecting to unanimous consent after the procedural vote that led to a 16-hour recitation of the bill. Did it accomplish anything? No, the bill cleared the Senate. Schumer got to the goal line—he knew the longer this festered in vote-a-rama, maybe he could sink the bill, but didn’t get close enough. That’s a loss for Democrats.
As Leah wrote, Vice President JD Vance broke the 50-50 tie as Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) defected. There are a handful of other Republicans who could cause trouble, but that’s for another day.
🚨🔥BREAKING: The Senate has just PASSED President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill!
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 1, 2025
MAGA! pic.twitter.com/oAfaoomj00
🚨🔥WATCH: JD Vance casts the tie-breaking vote! pic.twitter.com/JFhI6Wj8mo
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 1, 2025
🚨NEW — There were three Senate Republicans who voted against President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill.
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 1, 2025
Thom Tillis
Rand Paul
Susan Collins pic.twitter.com/cVCJ419S8q
Was Rand Paul’s deficit stand annoying? Sure, there’s no serious legislation right now that tackles the deficit, so it was a showboat performance, but Paul signaled he was against the legislation months ago, so it’s not a shock. It’s also not surprising that Collins, another troublesome Republican, would defect. How John Thune got Lisa Murkowski not to jump ship with Collins is some good work—Lord knows what was agreed upon to make it happen, but he held the line well enough when there are more than a few wild cards out there.
Thom Tillis may be leaving, but he’s leaving a trail of political destruction that rivals that of an EF-5 tornado. The North Carolina Republican struck out: he had hoped the North Carolina legislature would bail him out over some issues regarding Medicaid funding, but state Republicans rebuffed him, urging him to pass the bill. He tried to nuke this bill, the president’s primary legislative objective, tried to sink Pete Hegseth’s secretary of defense nomination, and scuttled Ed Martin’s nomination to be DC Attorney.
Maybe this stabbing in the back was a long time coming, but it’s another sign that we have more than a few Republicans who do not get it. First, there will never be a perfect bill. If there’s a Democratic Party, it’s impossible. Until the GOP has 400 seats in the House and 80 seats in the Senate, which would be glorious, there will be no perfect pieces of legislation. The OBBB aims to codify tax cuts, enact welfare reforms, and fully fund Trump’s immigration enforcement initiatives, or at least attempt to do so. The Senate Parliamentarian, a Harry Reid appointee, took a katana to some core provisions. Why Thune didn’t fire Elizabeth MacDonough is beyond me—no Democrat should have been able to chop up our bill like this.
But Tillis, Collins, and Paul—you almost delivered a death blow to the Trump presidency because you opposed a bill that contains tax cuts, border security, and attempted to enact welfare reforms.
What’s your malfunction, guys?
But do Rs have the votes?
— Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) June 29, 2025
Not yet.
Senate: Tillis and Paul are no's if nothing changes. Rs can lose just one more.
I'm watching: Budd, Cassidy, Collins, Curtis, Johnson, Lee, Lummis, Moran, Murkowski and to lesser degree Daines, Sheehy (pending amendments).
The Senate is in a bleary-eyed doom loop at the moment, Voting on amendments, slowly, as Republicans seem to stall for time and Democrats still have amendments proposed.
— Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) July 1, 2025
NOW: Rs have found a way to get Murkowski on board, I am told.
— Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) July 1, 2025
Senators are gathering in chamber for what R leadership plans to be final vote series.
THIS MAY BE IT, folks. (Until the House.)
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