US Senate pulls all-nighter voting One Big Beautiful Bill Act

(MENAFN) The United States Senate conducted a prolonged overnight voting session to deliberate a massive budget proposal that plays a key role in advancing President Donald Trump’s policy goals.

Known informally as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the nearly 1,000-page legislation calls for heightened investment in areas such as border protection, military funding, and energy initiatives. These expenditures are partially offset by reductions in social welfare programs, particularly healthcare and food assistance.

The bill’s future remains uncertain as internal disagreements persist among Republican lawmakers—who hold the majority in both the Senate and the House—especially over the extent of the proposed welfare cuts. These cuts are central to enabling the continuation of substantial tax reductions.

Should the Senate pass the measure, it will return to the House of Representatives for a concluding vote before being sent to President Trump for final approval.

Between Monday night and Tuesday, senators took part in a prolonged sequence of amendment debates and votes, a process referred to as a "vote-a-rama." So far, this has extended beyond 21 hours.

Among those voicing opposition is Elon Musk, who has intensified his criticism of Republican lawmakers who, in his words, “campaigned on reducing government spending” and then “immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history.” Musk previously led the Department of Government Efficiency, which aimed to identify potential budget cuts, but he parted ways with the administration following disagreements over this particular bill.

Reports indicate that the national debt of the United States currently stands at approximately $36 trillion. Projections suggest that if the bill becomes law, it could contribute an additional $3.3 trillion to that figure.

Analyses from federal sources estimate that the proposed spending reductions might leave close to 12 million people in the U.S. without health insurance coverage.

A major point of contention among Republicans centers around how deeply to cut social safety net programs in order to maintain $3.8 trillion in tax cuts initiated under Trump.

One amendment brought forward by Senator John Cornyn sought to decrease federal Medicaid funding to states that offer coverage to undocumented immigrants facing certain criminal charges. This proposal, however, failed to pass.

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