Senate expected to vote Monday on Big Beautiful Bill after advancing to debate

The Senate is on track to vote Monday on the sweeping "Big Beautiful Bill" after a 51-49 vote Saturday allowed formal debate to begin. The procedural win followed a day of intense negotiations among GOP senators and signals growing Republican momentum behind the legislation, though final passage is not yet guaranteed.

Republican Senators Rand Paul and Thom Tillis opposed the motion to proceed, but other GOP holdouts were swayed after talks involving Vice President JD Vance and Senate leaders. Among those persuaded was Senator Ron Johnson, who said they received a commitment for a vote on an amendment to scale back the 90 percent federal match for new Medicaid expansion enrollees under the Affordable Care Act. Johnson said both Senate Majority Leader John Thune and President Donald Trump support the amendment.

“The president’s pretty confident that whatever we pass here in the Senate, he’ll be able to convince people in the House to pass as well,” Johnson said, according to Politico.

Senator Mike Lee told reporters that much of the focus has been on deficit reduction and that the Medicaid changes are part of cost-saving measures.

Despite the progress, Thune emphasized that final passage remains uncertain, saying he is not taking “anything for granted around here.” Before a final vote can take place, the bill must be read aloud in full, followed by up to 20 hours of debate and a series of amendment votes.

“Fifty-three members will never agree on every detail of legislation, let’s face it. But Republicans are united in our commitment to what we’re doing in this bill,” Thune said prior to the vote. “It’s time to get this legislation across the finish line.”

Although the Senate cleared the hurdle to begin debate, internal disagreements remain. Updated bill text released Friday addressed controversial provisions such as Medicaid funding and state-and-local tax deductions, but negotiations continue as GOP leaders work to lock down enough votes.

Senator Tillis has said he will vote no on final passage unless substantial changes to the Medicaid provisions are made.

“It would result in tens of billions of dollars in lost funding for North Carolina, including our hospitals and rural communities,” Tillis said in a statement. “This will force the state to make painful decisions like eliminating Medicaid coverage for hundreds of thousands in the expansion population, and even reducing critical services for those in the traditional Medicaid population.”

Meanwhile, Senator Paul has been outspoken about the fiscal impacts of the bill and the need to cut government spending. He shared concern over the inclusion of a $5 trillion debt ceiling increase.