U.S. Senate Republicans Advance Trump’s Tax Cut and Spending Bill

By Bo Erickson and Phil Stewart

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senate Republicans pushed President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax cut and spending bill forward on Sunday in a marathon weekend session, even as a nonpartisan forecaster estimated it would add $3.3 trillion to the nation’s debt over a decade.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimate regarding the bill’s impact on the $36.2 trillion federal debt is about $800 billion more than the version passed last month in the House of Representatives.

Senators are scheduled to start voting on a potentially long list of amendments to the bill beginning at 9 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT) Monday.

Republicans, who have previously expressed concern about rising U.S. deficits and debt, have rejected the CBO’s longstanding method for calculating the cost of legislation.

Democrats Try to Spark Anxiety Among Conservatives

Democrats hope the recent figure could induce enough concern among fiscally-minded conservatives to sway them against their party, which controls both chambers of Congress.

“Republicans are doing something the Senate has never, never done before, deploying fake math and accounting gimmicks to hide the true cost of the bill,” said Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, as debate opened on Sunday. “Republicans are about to pass the single most expensive bill in U.S. history, to give tax breaks to billionaires while taking away Medicaid, SNAP benefits and good paying jobs for millions of people.”

The Senate only narrowly advanced the tax-cut, immigration, border, and military spending bill in a procedural vote late on Saturday, voting 51-49 to open debate on the 940-page megabill.

Republican Dissent and Trump’s Endorsement

Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, one of two Republicans who voted against the bill, explained his position, stating White House aides hadn’t provided Trump with proper advice about the legislation’s Medicaid cuts.

“What do I tell 663,000 people in two years, three years, when President Trump breaks his promise by pushing them off of Medicaid because the funding’s not there anymore?” Tillis asked, referring to his constituents.

Trump celebrated Saturday’s vote as a “great victory” for his “great, big, beautiful bill.” In a separate post on Sunday, he remarked, “We will make it all up, times 10, with GROWTH, more than ever before.”

In another illustration of the divide within the Republican Party over the bill, Tillis announced he wouldn’t seek re-election next year after Trump threatened to back a primary challenger in response to his vote.

Trump commended Tillis’ announcement as “Great News!” on Truth Social, warning fellow Republicans with concerns over the bill, “REMEMBER, you still have to get reelected. Don’t go too crazy!”

Tillis’ seat in North Carolina is considered one of the few vulnerable Republican Senate seats for the upcoming midterm elections.

Trump aims for the bill to pass before the July 4 Independence Day holiday. While this deadline is self-imposed, lawmakers will face a more pressing deadline later this summer when they must raise the nation’s debt ceiling to avoid a devastating default on $36.2 trillion in debt.

Predictions of Negative Consequences

Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, predicted this legislation would haunt Republicans if approved, suggesting that 16 million Americans would lose health insurance.

“Many of my Republican friends know … they’re walking the plank on this, and we’ll see if those who’ve expressed quiet concern will actually have the courage of their convictions,” Warner stated on CBS News’ “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”

The legislation was the primary focus of a marathon weekend congressional session marked by political dramas, division, and lengthy delays as Democrats aimed to slow the bill’s progress.

Schumer called for the entire text of the bill to be read on the Senate floor, a process that began before midnight Saturday and extended into Sunday afternoon. Following up to 20 hours of debate, the Senate will enter an amendment session, known as a “vote-a-rama,” prior to voting on passage. Lawmakers expect to finalize work on the bill on Monday.

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, the other Republican who opposed the legislation, stated it would raise the federal borrowing limit by an additional $5 trillion.

The megabill intends to extend the 2017 tax cuts, which were Trump’s main legislative achievement during his first term as president, while cutting other taxes and increasing spending on military and border security.

Senate Republicans reject the CBO’s cost estimates, opting instead for an alternative calculation method that omits costs associated with extending the 2017 tax cuts. Outside tax experts refer to this as a “magic trick.”

Using this calculation, the Senate Republicans’ budget bill appears to cost significantly less, projecting a savings of $500 billion according to the Bipartisan Policy Center’s analysis.

If the Senate approves the bill, it will be sent back to the House for final passage before Trump can sign it into law. The House passed its version of the bill last month.