The United States Senate voted on Saturday to begin debate on the spending bill promoted by President Donald Trump, which he described as his "GREAT, BEAUTIFUL, MAGNIFICENT" project.
At 940 pages, the measure advanced by a narrow margin of 51-49 in a procedural vote, despite opposition from two Republican senators, Thom Tillis (Republican-North Carolina) and Rand Paul (Republican-Kentucky), who joined Democrats in an attempt to block its progress.
Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), who initially voted against, changed his decision at the last moment, allowing the bill to move forward to debate. Vice President JD Vance was present at the Capitol during the session, prepared to cast a tie-breaking vote if necessary.
Debate on the proposal has already begun, and it is expected to be lengthy. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (Democrat-New York), promised that the entire bill will be read before a final vote is held.
Trump celebrated the result on his Truth Social network, especially thanking Senators Rick Scott, Mike Lee, Ron Johnson, and Cynthia Lummis, as well as the other Republicans who voted in favor, calling them patriots who love the United States. The president has pressured Republicans to speed up the bill's approval, aiming to have it on his desk before July 4.
The bill seeks, among other objectives, to make the 2017 tax cuts permanent, eliminate taxes on tips and overtime, increase funding for border security and eliminate green energy tax credits approved during the Biden administration. To finance these measures, the legislation contemplates raising the debt ceiling by approximately 5 billion dollars.
During Saturday's session, Trump warned that opposing his proposal would be a "definitive betrayal" and publicly lashed out against Senator Tillis, threatening not to support him in a Republican primary. He also criticized Senator Paul after the vote, questioning his inexplicable rejection of the measure.
