5 takeaways as Senate ships Trump’s megabill to House
Senate Republicans endured a 26-hour slog before finally passing President Trump’s ambitious tax and spending package early Tuesday afternoon, putting it one giant step closer to reaching the president's desk.
The bill now heads to the House, where questions surround whether the lower chamber can meet the GOP’s self-imposed July 4 deadline for passing the bill.
The legislation would make many of the Trump tax cuts from 2017 permanent, put in place the president’s proposals to eliminate some taxes on tips and overtime, and make the largest-ever cuts to Medicaid.
With the Senate’s work done — at least for now — here are five takeaways from their bill as it heads across the Capitol.
Thune notches first major legislative win
It took a vat of elbow grease, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) notched his first major legislative victory since taking over as leader of the GOP conference, buoying his standing with his members and Trump with more fights coming down the rails.
Last-minute negotiations with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) sealed the deal, but the momentous vote was months in the making, multiple lawmakers said.
Senators told The Hill that much of Thune’s success in getting the bill passed stems from changes he undertook from the outset of his tenure, such as decentralizing power in the conference by empowering committee chairs and numerous members.
Having previously cleared almost all of Trump’s Cabinet picks through the Senate despite some Republican skepticism, Thune again showed deft handling of members throughout the rough-and-tumble process on the “big, beautiful bill.”
“He’s got patience that very few people are gifted with,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) told The Hill amid the marathon vote-a-rama. “You can’t make anybody do anything. But what you can do is help them to get to a decision, and that’s what he’s doing.”
“This has been baptism under fire,” Rounds added.
Thune’s skills of persuasion were on clearest display as he swayed final votes on Tuesday.
Thune spoke consistently with Murkowski throughout the process, capped with a series of discussions on and near the floor on Monday night and Tuesday morning that helped get her to “yes.” He also helped bring conservatives on board after myriad conversions, individual discussions and conference........
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