Republicans muscle through 'big, beautiful' voting marathon
It’s Monday. It’s a short holiday week, but man does Congress know how to keep things busy!
In today's issue:
- Senate’s vote-a-rama is underway
- The Republicans to watch
- Thune won’t say if GOP has the votes
- What made it into the final bill?
- Tillis crosses Trump
- Supreme Court agrees to hear Vance case
????ON CAPITOL HILL
It’s Marathon Monday!:
Senate Republicans have begun their marathon vote-a-rama to pass President Trump’s legislative agenda, a grueling process ahead of their self-imposed July 4 deadline.
How’s it going?: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) declined to say this morning whether Republicans have the votes.
“Hopefully we’ll know soon enough, right?” he said with a laugh. “This may go a while.” ???? ???? Watch the live vote-a-rama
Will it pass?: Republicans can lose no more than three votes — and two of those “no” votes are already spoken for: Sens. Thom Tillis (N.C.) and Rand Paul (Ky.) are hard nos.
Who to keep your eye on: Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). They both voted to advance the bill Saturday but haven’t said if they will ultimately vote for the bill. FWIW, Republicans see Murkowski as a more likely “yes” vote for them.
What we're watching: A group of conservatives want more Medicaid cuts, but Republicans have very little room for error. Trump warned conservatives not to go “too crazy” with “cost cutting.”
How the vote-a-rama works: Senators can offer an unlimited number of amendments related to the bill — with a quick opportunity for debate and vote. This process can stretch for many hours.
The Senate worked late into last night and could have begun the vote-a-rama overnight, but GOP leaders opted to pause and begin again at 9 a.m. today, giving lawmakers time to rest up.
????️ Follow today’s live blog — there are a lot of moving parts, so I find this particularly helpful on days like today.
➤ SIGHTS AND SOUNDS FROM THE SENATE FLOOR:
Collins’s amendment to raise taxes on the ultra-wealthy: Collins filed an amendment to raise the marginal tax rate on Americans who earn more than $25 million a year.
If only we had microphones to overhear: Several reporters noticed Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who broke with GOP leadership and opposes the overall bill, chatting with former Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.). One reporter noticed the two of them walking toward the chamber exit together. ???? Photo
???? Competing Senate floor charts
➤ WHAT HAPPENS IF THE SENATE PASSES THE BILL?:
If it clears the Senate today, it will return to the House to see if the representatives agree to the changes.
The Hill’s Mychael Schnell reports it would go to the House Rules Committee before coming to the floor for a vote. GOP leaders said the first votes could happen Wednesday morning.
➤ WHAT MADE IT INTO THE BILL?:
Senate Republicans unveiled most of the legislative text late Friday night.
The biggest change from the House bill: The Senate version includes steeper cuts to Medicaid. The Hill’s Al Weaver published a helpful breakdown of what’s in the bill.
???? Read the bill
The costs: Tax cuts are by far the most expensive part of this bill. There are also funds for defense and homeland security.
The savings: Medicaid cuts are the biggest chunk of savings to fund those cuts, followed by green energy cuts, student loans and food benefits, per The New York Times.
???? Helpful chart comparing the bill’s spending and saving
➤ WHO ELSE WATCHED C-SPAN ON SATURDAY NIGHT?!:
Senators worked through the weekend to massage both the bill and the caucus to vote “yes” before their self-imposed July 4 deadline.
The Senate clerks even read all 940 pages of the bill aloud, which took nearly 16 hours.
At one point Sunday, Trump called for Republicans to overrule the parliamentarian’s order. But keep in mind that overruling the parliamentarian opens a can of worms. It gets uncomfortably close to ignoring the filibuster.
Oh, and you should know the Thom Tillis situation:
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) opposed a key procedural vote on President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill," arguing the cuts to Medicaid “will hurt people who are eligible and qualified” to receive the benefit. The Medicaid cuts would cost more than $30 billion for his state, and Tillis bashed Trump for betraying “the very promise” he made when he pledged not to interfere with Americans’ Medicaid benefits.
???? Watch Tillis explain his 'no' vote
This sent Trump into a rage over the weekend, relentlessly attacking Tillis in social media posts. The president even said he would back a primary challenge to boot Tillis from office.
So Tillis basically said ‘hold my beer’: He abruptly announced Sunday that he wouldn’t seek reelection in the midterms. This sent a shockwave through Washington. His seat is widely considered to be one of the hardest for Republicans to defend in 2026. That will only get tougher without Tillis as the incumbent.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the former Senate GOP leader, called Tillis’s retirement a “setback” for Republicans.
Tidbit: Tillis texted Trump on Saturday to give him a heads-up about his decision not to run for reelection. This text was sent seven minutes before Trump posted that he would find a primary challenger, according to the text that was viewed by The Hill.
Another Trump may be interested in the job: A source confirmed to The Hill that Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law and former co-chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), is considering running for Tillis’s seat. NOTUS first reported that she is “seriously considering” a Senate bid.
➤ JUST IN:
Rep. DonBacon (R-Neb.) officially announced this morning that he would not seek reelection in 2026, opening up what is likely to be a competitive race for Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.
The Hill’s JuliaManchester has more here.
????️ OTHER NEWS
The Supreme Court agreed to hear Vance’s case:
“The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to take up Vice President Vance and GOP committees’ bid to strike down federal limits on political parties’ spending made in coordination with campaigns,” reports The Hill’s Zach Schonfeld.
This could be a major campaign finance battle next term.
Read more on the case: ‘Supreme Court to hear Vance, GOP effort to strike down campaign finance provision’
➤ THE COURT SAID ‘NO’ TO A FEW CASES:
TikTok and free speech: “The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a Massachusetts teacher’s First Amendment challenge concerning her termination for making and reposting antitransgender TikToks.” Read more
American Airlines: “The Supreme Court on Monday turned away American Airlines’s bid to reverse a lower court ruling invalidating the carrier’s alliance with JetBlue in the Northeast.” Read more
➤ HOLIDAY WEEK TIDBIT:
The White House put up a big American flag ahead of the Fourth of July. ???? Photo
Getting traction — Trump revoked visas for a music group:
The Trump administration has revoked U.S. visas for members of rap-punk duo Bob Vylan after the group made inflammatory remarks about Israel.
What happened?: Vylan led concertgoers a “death, death to the IDF” chant at the U.K.’s Glastonbury Festival over the weekend, referring to the Israel Defense Forces.
Keep in mind: The group was scheduled to perform in Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C., this fall.
This incident has gotten a lot of attention. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the Glastonbury chants “appalling hate speech,” and the BBC apologized for continuing to airing the show after the incident.
How awful:
Two firefighters were shot and killed and another was injured in Idaho on Sunday afternoon after responding to a fire that was intentionally set by a gunman. A local sheriff called it a “total ambush,” reports The Associated Press.
The suspect, who police believe acted alone, is presumed dead after a male’s body, along with a weapon, was found near the scene.
???? Read more here
COMING UP
The House is out. The Senate is in. President Trump is in Washington. (All times EST)
1 p.m.: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt briefs reporters. ???? Livestream
2:30 p.m.: Trump signs executive orders.
???? INTERNET BUZZ
???? Celebrate: Today is National Mai Tai Day!
???? Want your blood to boil?: Ever experience a dropped call while on the phone with customer service? The Atlantic’s Chris Colin reports that “it was on purpose.” The gist: “Endless wait times and excessive procedural fuss—it’s all part of a tactic called ‘sludge.’”
???? Cracker Barrel is getting a ‘glow-up’: The old-timey Southern restaurant Cracker Barrel is “decluttering the décor,” reports The Wall Street Journal. “Cracker Barrel Fans Mourn the Loss of That Old-Timey Feeling,” WSJ’s Jennifer Williams writes.
✂️ The year of the bob: The blunt bob haircut is having a moment, writes The Washington Post’s Samantha Chery. Sofia Richie, Jenna Bush Hager and Megan Thee Stallion have all recently chopped their hair.
???? AND FINALLY…
And to brighten your Monday, meet this glamorous diva.
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