Moments after casting the tiebreaking Senate vote on the budget reconciliation package, Vice President JD Vance hailed the extension of the 2017 President Donald Trump tax cuts and money for big agenda items like border security.
"Massive tax cuts, especially no tax on tips and overtime," Vance posted on X. "And most importantly, big money for border security.
"This is a big win for the American people."
The "win" did not come without Vance as the closer. He cast the tiebreaking vote to make it 51-50 as three Republicans broke from Trump and party to side with lockstep opposition from 44 Democrats and three independents that caucus with them.
The outcome capped an unusually tense weekend of work at the Capitol to push through the president's signature legislative priority that Trump always said would pass in time.
Three Republican senators — Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, and Rand Paul of Kentucky — joined all Democrats in voting against it.
"The big not so beautiful bill has passed," Paul said after the vote.
The difficulty it took for Republicans, who have the majority hold in Congress, to wrestle the bill to this point is not expected to let up.
The package now goes back to the House, where House Speaker Mike Johnson had warned senators not to deviate too far from what his chamber had already approved. But the Senate did make changes, particularly to Medicaid, risking more problems as they race to finish by Trump's Fourth of July deadline.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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