Senate Moves Trump's Spending Plan Forward Amid GOP Disagreements

The Senate took a big step late Saturday night, pushing President Donald Trump's spending plan forward. The vote was close, with 51 senators in favor and 49 against. Two Republicans, Thom Tillis and Rand Paul, joined Democrats in opposing the move. Trump quickly celebrated the win on Truth Social, calling it a "GREAT VICTORY. " But the fight isn't over yet. The bill still has to go through a long debate and voting process, which could take hours or even days. Democrats plan to delay the vote as much as possible, so a final decision might not come until Monday. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer added another hurdle by asking for a full reading of the 940-page bill. This process was still going on Sunday morning at 10 a. m. EDT. The latest version of the bill was released on Friday, and Republicans think it can pass even if a few of their members vote against it. But there's still a lot of disagreement within the GOP about parts of the bill, like cuts to Medicaid, raising the debt ceiling, and tax deductions. Elon Musk, who has had a falling out with Trump over the bill, called it "utterly insane and disgusting. " He said it would destroy millions of jobs and hurt the country. The bill includes $4 trillion in tax cuts, money for border security, and changes to student loan repayment options. It also raises child tax credits and makes some changes to immigration services. But there are big cuts to Medicaid, which some Republicans and Democrats don't like. Some Republicans, like Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Ron Johnson, have said they might not support the bill. They have issues with different parts of it, like the cuts to Medicaid and the provision that bars Medicaid funding from abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. The bill's impact on the national debt is also a big concern. The Congressional Budget Office said it would increase the federal deficit by $2. 8 trillion by 2034. Trump and Republican leaders have said they might miss their July 4 deadline for passing the bill, but they're still hoping to get it done.