Egypt Daily News – After a marathon three-day voting session marked by last-minute negotiations and intense political drama, the Senate has narrowly passed President Donald Trump’s sweeping domestic agenda bill, setting the stage for a high-stakes battle in the House of Representatives.
The legislation, often referred to by Trump allies as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” passed on a 50–50 vote, with Vice President J.D. Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. Three Republican senators broke ranks to oppose the bill, citing concerns over its cost and policy direction.
What’s in the Bill
The sprawling legislation includes a broad range of tax cuts, boosts to military and immigration enforcement spending, and sharp reductions to social safety net programs. Key provisions include:
- An extension of Trump-era tax cuts and new tax breaks for tipped and overtime workers.
- A significant increase in funding for ICE and border security through the end of the decade.
- Cuts to Medicaid and food stamp programs, alongside new work requirements for benefit eligibility.
- A rollback of clean-energy tax incentives starting in 2027.
While the bill delivers on many of Trump’s policy promises, it comes with a steep price tag, with projections suggesting it could add more than $3 trillion to the national deficit over the next decade.
Murkowski Voices Reluctant Support
Senator Lisa Murkowski, one of the most closely watched swing votes, ultimately voted in favor of the bill but made clear her decision was not an endorsement of the entire package. Calling it “one of the hardest votes” of her Senate career, she expressed disappointment in the rushed process and signaled the legislation still needs significant revision.
“This has been an awful process — a frantic rush to meet an artificial deadline,” she said, adding that while improvements were made for her home state of Alaska, “it is not good enough for the rest of our nation — and we all know it.”
House GOP Faces Internal Strains
The bill now heads to the House, where Republican leaders face a delicate balancing act. With only a slim majority, House Republicans can afford to lose no more than three votes if all members are present and Democrats remain united in opposition.
Rep. Ralph Norman, a conservative member of the powerful Rules Committee, has already announced he opposes the Senate version, citing fiscal concerns and calling for a complete rewrite. “I want to go back to the drawing board,” he said, though he admitted he currently has “no idea” what a replacement plan would look like.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has been meeting privately with GOP holdouts in an effort to secure support, with plans to bring the bill to the floor for a vote as early as Wednesday.
Musk’s Attacks Brushed Off by White House
Meanwhile, billionaire Elon Musk reignited his criticism of the legislation, taking to social media to denounce what he called “bloated government overreach.” However, senior White House officials have dismissed the criticism, with one saying, “No one really cares what he says anymore.” While Musk had recently apologized to Trump over a public spat, his influence on Republican lawmakers, particularly in primary races remains uncertain.
Next Steps and Political Stakes
If the House modifies the bill, a conference committee would be needed to reconcile differences before it can be sent to the president’s desk. But with ideological divisions persisting among Republicans, both fiscal hawks and moderates could still pose significant obstacles.
President Trump has made passage of the bill a top priority ahead of the November midterms, casting it as the legislative centerpiece of his second-term domestic agenda. With time running out before the July 4 recess, party leaders are racing to build consensus in what could be one of the most consequential legislative pushes of the year.
