The Senate passes Trump’s agenda bill

In a 51-50 vote, Senate Republicans passed the massive tax and spending bill. Now it heads to the House. We'll talk about what's in the bill and potential political blowback.

Air Date: July 1, 2025 12:00 pm

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is flanked by Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., the GOP whip, left, and Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, speaks to reporters after passage of the budget reconciliation package of President Donald Trump's signature bill of big tax breaks and spending cuts, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, July 1, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The Senate was up all night working to finalize the massive GOP budget bill that President Donald Trump asked for by July 4 and passed it just before noon today in a 51-50 vote with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie.

Three Republican Senators voted against the spending package – North Carolina’s Thom Tillis, Kentucky’s Rand Paul, and Maine’s Susan Collins – and no Democrat voted for it. Now the “big beautiful bill” is off in the House to be voted on once again.

Provisions in the 940-page legislation include making Trump’s first term tax cuts permanent, increasing spending on the border, military, and energy production – and cutting Medicaid, healthcare and food assistance costs.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 11.8 million people would lose health insurance under the Senate bill, a million more than in the House version. And it would add $3.3 trillion to the deficit. Republicans counter that the tax cuts will generate economic growth to cover the spending.

In another curve ball, yesterday Elon Musk weighed in on X, threatening to start a new political party and primary any Republican who votes for the legislation.

Today on Studio 2, we’ll talk about what’s in the legislation, the potential political blowback and the bill’s potential impact on Americans.

Guests:

Margot Sanger-Katz, reporter covering health care policy for the Upshot section of The New York Times

Guy Ciarrocchi, senior fellow at The Commonwealth Foundation

Will Bunch, national columnist at The Philadelphia Inquirer

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