Special Poll
The Senate has narrowly approved President Donald Trump’s tax and spending framework in a 51–48 vote, marking a significant victory for the administration as it pushes forward with sweeping economic changes.
The vote, held in the early hours of Saturday morning, clears the way for Republicans in Congress to begin drafting a major bill aimed at implementing Trump’s key fiscal promises. These include eliminating taxes on overtime pay, tips, and Social Security benefits, along with extending the broad tax cuts passed during Trump’s first term in 2017.
The approval came at a time of growing economic anxiety. Wall Street continued to tumble on Friday following the administration’s surprise announcement of new tariffs earlier in the week—an economic overhaul Trump referred to as “Liberation Day.” The Dow Jones fell by more than 5%, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq also sliding over 5.5%. Making matters worse, China retaliated by placing a 34% tariff on all American goods, escalating trade tensions.
Despite the market jitters, Republican senators pushed forward with the framework, which includes not only tax relief but also new funding for the military and border security. However, it also raises the national debt ceiling by up to $5 trillion—a sticking point for some fiscal conservatives.
Two GOP senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky, broke ranks and voted against the measure. Democrats attempted to amend the framework with proposals to roll back the new tariffs, safeguard Medicaid, and prevent tax cuts for the wealthy. They also introduced a measure aimed at banning government officials from using unsecured messaging apps like Signal for military planning—an issue recently in the spotlight. None of the amendments passed.
The legislation now heads to the House, where it faces more uncertainty. With Republicans holding only a slim majority, a handful of hardline members have voiced concerns over ballooning deficits and are calling for deeper spending cuts before lending their support.
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso expressed confidence in the plan, saying, “It fulfills our promises to secure the border, to rebuild our economy and to restore peace through strength.”
President Trump, who has taken to promoting the measure online, hailed the Senate vote on his Truth Social platform. Calling it the “BIG, BEAUTIFUL DEAL,” Trump claimed it would “SUPERCHARGE our Economy,” brushing off concerns about the impact of tariffs on big business.
With Senate approval now in hand, Republicans must still align with House members to pass the final bill. But with mounting economic uncertainty, a volatile stock market, and growing unease within the GOP over debt and deficits, the road ahead could be bumpy. How this plays out in the coming weeks could have major implications—not just for Trump’s economic agenda, but also for the political climate heading into the midterms.