U.S. Senate holds marathon voting session on Trump's "big, beautiful bill"
發佈日期: 2025-07-01 19:51
TVB News
In the U.S., Republican lawmakers are working to advance President Donald Trump's tax cut and spending package dubbed the "big, beautiful bill" to gain passage in the Senate.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said they are "figuring out how to get to the end game."
The U.S. Senate passed the procedural vote on the so-called "Big Beautiful Bill" by 51-49 last Saturday.
It is now on the floor for a marathon vote-a-rama on proposed amendments, an opportunity for both parties to put their colleagues on the spot.
Earlier, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer forced a 16-hour reading of the 940-page megabill overnight in a bid to highlight provisions that Democrats say will harm Americans.
Schumer said "Republicans are in shambles because they know the bill is so unpopular," adding that Democrats are bringing "amendment after amendment after amendment to the floor."
At the centre of the legislation is an extension to Donald Trump's 2017 tax cuts with steep reductions to health care, food aid and clean energy programs.
A review by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected the bill would cut 930 billion U.S. dollars from the Medicaid.
Democrats lined up to rail against downsizing Medicaid while giving tax breaks to the ultra-rich.
Senator Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland said: "I want to know if my colleagues on the other side of the aisle believe that there are some Americans so wealthy that perhaps they don't need a tax break at the expense of health care and food for our most vulnerable constituents."
Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona said: "Giving a tax break to the richest people and most profitable corporations is a choice. And paying for it by kicking 17 million Americans off their health insurance is a choice."
And Republicans came to defend the sweeping tax cuts.
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said: "Y'all will never do anything to make sure taxes go down. So we're going to make sure they go down forever. You're going to be happy to reduce the deficit and make sure people's taxes don't go up."
Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, meanwhile, staked out his opposition, saying the package is a betrayal of the president's promises not to kick people off health care. Despite this, Tillis joined other Republicans to assert that the tax cuts will lead to economic growth.
Tesla founder Elon Musk renewed his criticism of the bill, which he says will hike U.S. deficit, and pledged to oust Republican lawmakers who vote for it.
He has also threatened to form an "America Party" if the bill gets passed.
In response, Trump suggested the government efficiency department, or DOGE, should look at the subisidies that Musk's business empire has received in order to save money.
